Department for Transport

Department for Transport: Pay

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many of his Department's staff had a pay increase (a) above one per cent, (b) at one per cent and (c) less than one per cent in each of the last three years for which information is available.

Mr John Hayes: Departmental pay awards have been applied in accordance with HMT pay guidance that restricts increases to an average of one per cent across all staff. Over the last three years, the department has linked pay awards to end of year performance marks, differentiating the award based on these marks. The table below shows the number of employees who received a pay increase a) above, (b) at and (c) less than one per cent for each of the last three years.Pay Award YearAbove 1%1%Below 1%2016/1788813048212015/16105513426412014/1592301804706 These figures include staff in post on the 1st August each year who were eligible for a pay award. Figures for 2017/18 are not available as the pay award has not yet been implemented.

Department for Transport: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many civil servants in his Department are part of the Government Commercial Function; and how many of those civil servants have been seconded (a) outside the Government and (b) in from outside the Government in each year since 2012.

Mr John Hayes: Department for Transport’s Central department and its Executive Agencies have 223 civil servants who fall into the definition of Government Commercial Function. DfT holds central records of inward secondees but not the activities they undertake. However, we are aware of 3 individuals currently seconded into DfT from British Transport Police, Network Rail and Transport for London.

Volkswagen

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 18 July 2017 to Question 4255, on Volkswagen, how many (a) Audis, (b) SEATs, (c) Skodas, (d) Volkswagen commercial vehicles and (e) Volkswagen private cars had had fixes applied by the time of the (i) August and (ii) September meetings.

Jesse Norman: Volkswagen UK provided the Department with the following figures for the number of ‘fixes’ that have been applied to the affected UK vehicles, across the Group:  Number of vehicles reported ‘fixed’ on:17 August 20177 September 2017Audi273,483277,388SEAT42,87143,674Skoda58,80762,763VW commercial vehicles37,59938,467VW passenger cars351,203355,208Total763,963777,500

Railways: South West

Mr Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to increase mobile telephone coverage alongside inter-city rail networks throughout the South West to improve on-board connectivity.

Paul Maynard: In December 2016 my Department introduced a requirement that future rail franchises have better mobile connectivity for passengers. This significantly increases the number of places along the railway line where there is signal. There are three railway franchises in the South West. For Great Western and Cross Country Franchises these requirements will come into effect in 2019 and must be implemented no later than 2022. The procurement of the South Western Franchise started prior to the requirement in December 2016, but they have agreed to voluntarily adopt this approach.My Department is working closely with the Department of Digital, Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) to see what further improvements can be made to mobile connectivity on trains.

Department for Transport: Devolution

Stephen Kerr: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the dates were of the most recent meetings between Ministers of his Department and their counterparts in the devolved administrations; and what the dates are of the next planned meetings.

Jesse Norman: The Secretary of State met with Ken Skates AM, Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure on 7th September this year. The pair are due to meet again on 16th October. The Secretary of State also met with Keith Brown MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work on 3rd July.

Driving: Licensing

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will undertake to assess the effectiveness of directives on operator licensing after the UK leaves the EU.

Jesse Norman: Operator licensing is an important regime to ensure haulage and bus operators act responsibly, safely and legally, and it is already contained within UK law. Leaving the EU will give the UK control over our Operator Licensing regime.

Community Transport: Licensing

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will take steps to protect and widen derogations for community transport operators to operate vehicles under a Section 19 or 22 permit after the UK leaves the EU.

Jesse Norman: The Department remains committed to supporting community transport operators. The Department will carry out a public consultation later this autumn, which will set out the changes needed to the guidance on the issue and use of permits. Until exit negotiations are concluded, the UK remains a full member of the European Union and all the rights and obligations of EU membership remain in force. During this period the Government will continue to negotiate, implement and apply EU legislation. It would be inappropriate to speculate as to any legislative action which the government may take when the exit negotiations are concluded, for the purpose of implementing the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill.

Passenger Ships: Waste Disposal

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will hold discussions with cruise ship operators on reducing the amount of waste generated by cruise ships that is deposited in harbours and ports.

Mr John Hayes: The Government is in favour of reducing waste at source and supports efforts in the cruise ship sector to reduce, reuse and recycle waste. The Government will continue to work closely and have discussions with cruise industry officials both domestically, within the European Sustainable Shipping Forum, as well as at the International Maritime Organisation.These discussions will focus on improving and enhancing the control of ship generated waste. Discussions concerning the amount of cruise ship generated waste that is deposited in harbours and ports is best led by the industry in the first instance.

Shipping: Accidents

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of navigational accidents in harbours and ports.

Mr John Hayes: The UK’s harbours and ports have an excellent safety record but we must never be complacent. The Department provides comprehensive guidance to ports, harbours and terminals to assist them in their duty to manage safety in their areas through the Port Marine Safety Code and related Guide to Good Practice.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Eddisbury

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much and what proportion of the funding available to the second phase of High Speed 2 has been allocated to the section of the track running through Eddisbury constituency.

Paul Maynard: The 2015 Spending Review established a funding envelope for Phase Two of £28.55bn (in 2015 prices). Following the transfer of scope of Crewe Tunnel between Phase 2a and Phase 2b, total funding of £25.07bn has been allocated to Phase 2b (including provision for rolling stock). HS2 Ltd is expected to manage all elements of the delivery of Phase 2b from within the overall funding provision. As such, there is no separately designated funding for the section of track running through the Eddisbury constituency.

Railways: Kingston upon Hull

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has plans to increase passenger capacity on trains between Hull and (a) Liverpool and (b) Leeds; and if he will make a statement.

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has plans to reduce train journey times between Hull and (a) Liverpool and (b) Leeds; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Maynard: There are a number of investments to increase the overall capacity and improve journey times between Hull and Liverpool via Leeds. In May 2014, faster services with a 15 minute journey time saving began running between Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Victoria.In 2015, longer trains started and in October of this year, we will have completed building an additional platform and track on this route to allow fast trains to pass slow trains. We are also rebuilding Liverpool Lime Street to enable more and longer trains to serve that station, with three services a day to Scotland from December 2018 and extra trains to Manchester and Bradford by December 2019.Network Rail are currently on site to improve the track, reducing journey time savings on the section between Manchester and Stalybridge by May 2018. Additional through trains will run between Manchester and Leeds from 2018, with new build 5 carriage trains starting to replace the 3-car trains currently in operation. Northern and TransPennine Express, will deliver brand new trains, totalling more than 500 new carriages. All existing trains will be refurbished, many more of the trains to Hull from Manchester will be doubled in capacity, and all the out-dated Pacer trains will be withdrawn from service. In total there will be room for 40,000 extra passengers and more than 2,000 extra services a week across all of the North.

Economic Growth: Easington

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will make an assessment of the value of the A19 to the promotion of economic growth and regeneration in Easington constituency.

Jesse Norman: The Department’s Transport Investment Strategy recognises that high performing infrastructure can drive economic growth across the country. To inform our decisions about future investment in the strategic road network, Highways England’s 18 route strategies and strategic economic growth plan, published in March, have assessed how the performance of all parts of the network, including the A19 through Easington, can promote growth.

Electric Vehicles

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to bring forward changes to the legal status of personal electric transporters.

Jesse Norman: The Department for Transport keeps this area of road regulations under review, but it has no current plans to bring forward changes to the legal status of personal electric transporters.

Department for Transport: Chief Scientific Advisers

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many meetings (a) he and (b) Ministers of his Department have had with the Chief Scientific Adviser in his Department in the last three months.

Mr John Hayes: No such meetings have taken place in the last three months.

A19: Safety

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will review road safety on the A19.

Jesse Norman: Safety is a key imperative of Highways England and so the safety performance of all its roads is under continuous review. Since 2011, safety improvements have been delivered at ten locations on the A19, involving improvements to traffic signals and road markings, provision of additional road capacity to reduce congestion, and improved facilities for pedestrians and cyclists. The Road Investment Strategy for 2015-2020, announced three schemes on the A19 for delivery, which are expected to save at least 380 casualties over a 60-year period. In 2017, the Department for Transport announced a congestion relief scheme to signalise the junction of A19 and A179 at Sheraton to address an existing congestion and safety issue.

South Western Rail Franchise: Standards

Mr Bob Seely: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what obligations and timescales he has placed on the new South Western Railway under its franchise agreement on the introduction of faster trains from London Waterloo to (a) Portsmouth and (b) Southampton.

Paul Maynard: The Train Service Specification is part of the Franchise Agreement and will see a recasting of the South Western timetables, in December 2018 and December 2020. December 2018 will see the introduction of the modified fleet of Class 442 trains on the Portsmouth Direct services between London Waterloo and Portsmouth Harbour. While the contracted maximum journey times for off-peak services to both Portsmouth Harbour and Southampton Central are consistent with current fastest journey times, we are expecting to see journey time improvements arising from the December 2018 Timetable re-cast. South Western Railway, will be carrying out consultation with Stakeholders on the December 2018 timetable in the coming months.

Railways: Ryde

Mr Bob Seely: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment (a) his Department and (b) Network rail have made on the scale and timing of any required infrastructure works on Ryde Pier, Isle of Wight, to ensure that there is no risk to the continued and long-term provision of rail services on that route; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Maynard: The Department for Transport has made no assessment of the scale and timing of any required infrastructure works on Ryde Pier, Isle of Wight The infrastructure on the Isle of Wight is owned by Network Rail and the responsibilities for maintenance and renewal of these assets is apportioned between Network Rail and the Train Operating Company (South Western Railway, SWR) under the terms of the lease between these organisations. This lease is due for renewal in 2019. The Department would expect Network Rail to make provision for any routine maintenance and renewal works required within their overall cost base for activities for Control Period 6 and to reflect these in the renewed lease.

Railways: Ryde

Mr Bob Seely: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the cost of necessary infrastructure works on the Ryde Pier rail route will be funded by Network Rail; and whether such funding will be borne by the (a) public purse and (b) franchise.

Paul Maynard: The infrastructure on the Isle of Wight is owned by Network Rail and the responsibilities for maintenance and renewal of these assets is apportioned between Network Rail and the Train Operating Company (South Western Railway, SWR) under the terms of the lease between these organisations. This lease is due for renewal in 2019. We would expect Network Rail to make provision for any routine maintenance and renewal works required within their overall cost base for activities for Control Period 6 and to reflect these in the renewed lease. Ultimately, costs falling to Network Rail are borne by the public purse. In addition to this, South Western Railway are due to submit a costed option to the Secretary of State by the end of March 2018 in relation to the future operation of the Island Line. To the extent that this is acceptable, it may result in an adjustment to franchise payments made to Government by the franchisee. SWR are in the process of consulting with local stakeholders regarding options.

High Speed Two: Staff

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many members of staff of HS2 Ltd work on communications for that project.

Paul Maynard: HS2 is the largest infrastructure project in Europe. Once complete it will connect eight out of our ten biggest cities, increasing rail capacity on the current system and reducing journey times, while also creating thousands of jobs and acting as a catalyst for economic growth across the UK. HS2 Ltd is the executive non-departmental public body established to develop and deliver the HS2 programme. The company is responsible for promotion, engagement and communication to those with an interest in the project.  The Community Engagement department at HS2 Ltd, who work on Phases 1 and 2a, has responsibility to build positive working relationships with residents and their elected representatives, local authorities and businesses along the line of route during planning and delivery of the project. It employs 32 staff. Community engagement staff who work on the proposed Phase 2b route, sit under the Phase 2 department, and employ 49 staff. The Corporate Affairs department at HS2 Ltd exists to help the company build and maintain its reputation. It has responsibility for communications to audiences such as: the public, politicians, journalists, project stakeholders and internal staff. It employs 45 staff. Other HS2 Ltd departments engage statutory stakeholders as part of their role in planning, developing and delivering the project. This includes, but is not restricted to, discussions with local authority planning and policy teams. All figures as of 02 October 2017.

Aviation: Noise

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what (a) remit and (b) powers he plans to give the Independent Commission on Civil Aviation Noise.

Mr John Hayes: The Government consulted on proposals for an Independent Commission on Civil Aviation Noise as part of its UK Airspace Policy consultation. We intend to respond to the consultation in the autumn, outlining the Commission’s remit and powers.

Aviation: Noise

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what process he plans to put in place to identify and recruit the lead commissioner for the Independent Commission on Civil Aviation Noise.

Mr John Hayes: The process to appoint the lead commissioner for the Independent Commission on Civil aviation noise will be in line with the Code of Practice issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

Aviation: Noise

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to establish the proposed Independent Commission on Civil Aviation Noise.

Mr John Hayes: The Government consulted on proposals for an Independent Commission on Civil Aviation Noise as part of its UK Airspace Policy consultation. We intend to respond to the consultation in the autumn, outlining the timetable for the Commission’s establishment.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Department for Communities and Local Government: Devolution

Stephen Kerr: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the dates were of the most recent meetings between Ministers from his Department and their counterparts in the devolved administrations; and what the dates are of the next planned meetings.

Mr Marcus Jones: The Secretary of State and other Ministers of the Department for Communities and Local Government have regular meetings with the devolved administrations to discuss a range of issues.

Housing: Construction

Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what progress his Department is making on implementing the housing white paper of February 2017, Fixing our broken housing market; and if he will make a statement.

Alok Sharma: Holding answer received on 11 October 2017



Our recent Housing White Paper sets out a long term, comprehensive strategy to fix our dysfunctional housing market by tackling failures at every point in the system, whilst also taking more steps to help people now so that housing is more affordable and people have the security they need to be able to plan for the future.Since its publication in February 2017, the actions we have taken include the following:Launched the £2.3 billion Housing Infrastructure Fund. The fund will unlock up to 100,000 new homes by helping to fund much needed infrastructure in the areas of greatest housing need. We are currently assessing bids from local authorities.Launched the £45 million Land Release Fund to ensure local councils release some of their unused or surplus land for housing. This will help to meet the ambition to unlock enough council-owned land for at least 160,000 homes by 2020. Closing dates for bids is 3 November.Consulted on changing planning policy to support more Build to Rent homes, including affordable rental homes, as well as providing a £65 million boost to the biggest development of homes built specifically for private rent in the UK. Located at the Wembley Park Development in Brent, this will contain 6,800 homes for rent.Consulted on a range of measures to help tackle unfair and unreasonable abuses of the leasehold system. We are considering the responses and will respond in due course.On Affordable Housing, to deliver more affordable homes and to ease the way for councils to build more social housing, including at a social rent, we will invest a further £2 billion in funding for housing associations and local councils in England.On letting fees, we carried out an eight week public consultation to seek views on how the ban on letting fees paid by tenants should be implemented and enforced. The consultation closed on 2 June. We will be publishing the draft bill shortly.We are consulting on proposals to reform the planning system to increase the supply of new homes and increase local authority capacity to manage growth. The consultation closes on 9 November.Going further, we will bring forward a green paper on social housing in England which will be a wide-ranging top-to-bottom review of the issues facing the sector. The green paper will be the most substantial report of its kind for a generation.

Letting Agents: Fines

Melanie Onn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many fines have been levied on letting agents in England for breaches of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 since it came into force.

Melanie Onn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many letting agents have been fined for breaching the Consumer Rights Act 2015 since it came into force.

Alok Sharma: Holding answer received on 11 October 2017



The Department does not hold this information. Local authorities are responsible for enforcing the requirements on letting agents under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.The Secretary of State for the Department of Communities and Local Government announced on 1 October, that the Government will require all letting agents to register with an appropriate organisation to give landlords and tenants confidence that their agent is meeting minimum standards and complying with their legal responsibilities. The Government will also shortly publish the draft Tenant Fees Bill to set out its approach to banning letting fees to tenants in England.

Private Rented Housing: Electrical Safety

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 19 September 2017 to Question HL1415, when the report of the working group on electrical safety in the private rented sector will be published.

Alok Sharma: Holding answer received on 11 October 2017



Following Royal Assent of the Housing and Planning Act 2016, a Working Group of relevant experts was established to provide recommendations to Ministers on what, if any, legislative requirements for electrical safety in the private rented sector should be introduced. The Working Group has now concluded and the report and its recommendations are being considered.

Travellers: Caravan Sites

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what data his Department holds on the housing needs of Travellers who conform to the revised definition of Gypsy Travellers as set out in the Planning policy for Traveller sites 2015.

Alok Sharma: The Department does not hold data on the housing needs of travellers. It is the responsibility of local authorities to assess all local housing needs, including those of travellers.

High Rise Flats: Safety

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the 31 local authorities are that have requested additional funding for tower block safety.

Alok Sharma: I can confirm that 31 local authorities have been in touch with DCLG regarding work to ensure fire safety in tower blocks. We have been clear that we expect building owners to fund fire safety measures, but councils should contact us if they have any concerns about funding fire safety works.Where works are necessary to ensure the fire safety of a building, we will ensure that lack of financial resources will not prevent them going ahead. It is a matter for local authorities to communicate with their residents what work is being proposed.

High Rise Flats: Safety

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the five local authorities are that have been asked for further information on their application for requested additional funding for tower block safety.

Alok Sharma: I can confirm that six local authorities have been asked for further detailed information regarding work to ensure fire safety in tower blocks, following initial conversations with DCLG. We have been clear that we expect building owners to fund fire safety measures, but councils should contact us if they have any concerns about funding fire safety works.Where works are necessary to ensure the fire safety of a building, we will ensure that lack of financial resources will not prevent them going ahead. It is a matter for local authorities to communicate with their residents what work is being proposed, and as such I cannot provide the names of specific local authorities.

Grenfell Tower Inquiry

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 20 September 2017 to Question 9205, on the Grenfell Tower inquiry, how he plans to report the findings from the exercise described in that Answer.

Alok Sharma: As the Secretary of State announced at the National Housing Federation Conference on 19 September, we will bring forward a Green Paper on social housing in England.The Green Paper will be a wide-ranging review of the issues facing the sector and the most substantial report of its kind for a generation.The Housing Minister’s engagement with social housing tenants over the coming months will feed into the scope and content of the Green Paper.

Grenfell Tower: Fires

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2017, to Question 9297, on Grenfell Tower: fire, how many families have been rehoused; how many families have received an offer of housing which they have not accepted; by when the Government aims for all families to have been re-housed; what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the re-housing process does not take longer than necessary; and what mechanisms are in place for people affected by the fire to make their needs clear.

Alok Sharma: Our priority is to ensure that all households from Grenfell Tower and Grenfell Walk are provided with a permanent home within a year. The Government is working closely with the Council to deliver this as swiftly as possible, but it's important to get this right and ensure residents have choice over their housing options and are given the time they need.Housing allocations officers from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea have carried out housing needs assessments for those being rehoused. Family Liaison Officers and keyworkers are also in place to ensure the bereaved and survivors are able to access support to meet their wider needs.The latest figures I have from the Council, as of 9 October, show that 111 households have accepted an offer of either temporary or permanent accommodation. 54 have now moved in; of which 44 households have already moved in to temporary accommodation, and 10 households have moved into permanent accommodation.

Community Relations: Pakistan

Mr Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he plans to take to promote the integration into UK society of Pakistani women who are not able to speak English and who do not go out to work.

Mr Marcus Jones: Since 2013, my department has invested £12 million to support 54,000 isolated adults to learn English in community settings, with a specific focus on women with the lowest levels of English who are economically inactive. The forthcoming integration strategy will set out how we will support people in more isolated communities to engage with the wider world, help women in particular into the workplace, and teach more people to speak English.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Radioactive Waste: Australia

Stewart Malcolm McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the total volume of UK-generated radioactive waste that will be sent to Australia's proposed national radioactive waste facility; what the origins are of the waste that will be returned to Australia for disposal in that facility; and what the level of radioactivity is of all the waste that will be sent to that facility.

Richard Harrington: In 1996 the Australia Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) signed a contract with the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) for the processing of spent nuclear fuel from the Australian research reactor at the Dounreay reprocessing facility. The contract contained an obligation to return uranium and an option to return waste which is supported by a MoU between the UK and Australian Governments in the form of an intergovernmental letter. The radioactive waste, which arose from the processing, comprises several tens of drums of cemented waste. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) assumed responsibility for the material when it became owners of Dounreay in 2005. Cemented waste is challenging in terms of transport and volume, and for the ANSTO waste the return would require multiple moves or the provision of new flasks to ensure transport can be secured. The Scottish and UK Governments consulted on a proposed policy of radioactive waste substitution for the radioactive waste arising from historic fuel reprocessing contracts with overseas customers at Dounreay in 2010. Agreement was reached between the Scottish and UK Governments on 16 March 2012. Waste substitution is an internationally accepted practice where a radiological equivalent amount of waste is returned to the customer in a form that is acceptable. A contract was signed in 2014 with the NDA to enable waste substitution. The substituted radioactive waste will be in the form of four vitrified residue containers holding waste which falls within the activity levels of Intermediate Level Waste. The vitrified residue (sealing of radioactive waste in molten glass poured into engineered stainless steel containers) comes from Sellafield. Waste in this form is immobilised. The cemented drums containing the Australian-origin radioactive waste from the processing of the spent nuclear fuel will be retained and managed at Dounreay pending final disposal, as the Dounreay Intermediate Level Waste stores are designed to accept it. The vitrified residues are forecast to be returned to Australia by 2022 and are expected to be stored in an authorised storage facility located at Lucas Heights near Sydney, where the Australian research reactor is located. Following storage at Lucas Heights the vitrified residues will be co-located with a new disposal facility for Low Level Waste and will be temporary stored at that facility. The Australian Government accepts that it has an international obligation to receive the vitrified residues. The Department of Industry, Innovation and Science (DIIS) is charged with identifying a site – National Radioactive Waste Management Facility – for its Low Level Waste currently stored in 100 different places around Australia. The NDA has been informed that following a public consultation process across Australia, DIIS is now actively engaged in dialogue with two communities in South Australia – Wallerberdina Station, near Hawker, and at Kimba. A decision on where the facility will be located has not yet been made.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many civil servants in his Department are part of the Government Commercial Function; and how many of those civil servants have been seconded (a) outside Government and (b) in from outside the government in each year since 2012.

Margot James: Twelve civil servants in the department are professionally part of the Government Commercial Function with two of those being employed by the Government Commercial Organisation. (a) Nil return. (b) Nil return.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Redundancy

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many (a) men and (b) women have left his Department or former constituent Departments under exit schemes since 31 March 2016.

Margot James: In core BEIS, 99 men and 66 women have left the Department or former constituent Departments under exit schemes since 31 March 2016.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Devolution

Stephen Kerr: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the dates were of the most recent meetings between Ministers from his Department and their counterparts in the devolved administrations; and what the dates are of the next planned meetings.

Margot James: Ministers in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy regularly discuss matters of mutual interest with their counterparts in the devolved administrations.The most recent meetings took place on 7 September 2017 when my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and my hon. Friend the Minister for Climate Change and Industry met with both Ken Skates AM, Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure in the Welsh Government and with Paul Wheelhouse MSP, Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy in the Scottish Government. There are currently no Northern Ireland Executive Ministers.

Nuclear Power Stations: Sellafield

Trudy Harrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to secure funding for the development of a nuclear plant at Moorside in Cumbria.

Richard Harrington: Toshiba is seeking to sell NuGen, the developer of the proposed Moorside nuclear plant, in a private commercial transaction. We engage regularly with developers on a range of topics, including financing, though the details of these discussions are commercially confidential.

Partnerships: Scotland

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many Scottish limited partnerships are qualifying under the terms of the Scottish Partnerships (Register of People with Significant Control) Regulations 2017 and the Companies and Partnerships (Accounts and Audit) Regulations 2013.

Margot James: As I stated in the answer to Question UIN 10360, there are approximately 33,000 Scottish Limited Partnerships (SLPs) registered with Companies House. All registered SLPs are eligible under the terms of the Scottish Partnerships (Register of People with Significant Control) Regulations 2017. The above regulations also require a Scottish qualifying partnership (SQP) to register with Companies House and deliver information concerning its People with Significant Control (PSC). An SQP is a general partnership constituted under the law of Scotland that is a qualifying partnership under the Partnership (Accounts) Regulations 2008. As of 22 September 2017, 493 SQPs have delivered PSC information to Companies House.

Money Laundering

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the role of Companies House is in combatting money laundering.

Margot James: Companies House’s role is to incorporate and dissolve limited companies. It registers the information that UK companies are required to disclose and makes it available to the public. Companies House does not have a front-line role in combatting money laundering but it can support and assist law enforcement in their investigations.Company House carries out a number of checks on all information received, ensuring it is valid, complete, and in compliance with company filing requirements. When it detects or receives intelligence relating to suspicious actions, including possible money laundering, Companies House will report the information to the relevant enforcement body.

Infrastructure: Ownership

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals to ensure the delivery of (a) utilities, (b) communications, (c) transport and (d) energy infrastructure in the event of foreign ownership of such infrastructure.

Richard Harrington: The Government will shortly bring forward proposals to ensure that foreign ownership of companies controlling important infrastructure does not undermine British security or essential services. These proposals will consolidate and strengthen Government’s powers to protect national security.

Company Finance

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what checks his Department carries out to ensure that dividends paid by companies do not exceed their distributable reserves.

Margot James: The Department is not responsible for carrying out checks on dividends paid by companies to ensure that they do not exceed their distributable reserves.

Financial Reporting Council

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will appoint an independent committee to examine the governance of the Financial Reporting Council.

Margot James: The Government has no plans to appoint such a committee. The work of the Financial Reporting Council has been reviewed by committees in both Houses of Parliament and we would expect this to continue.

Audit: Fines

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will publish the dates on which his Department authorised the Financial Reporting Council to pass the fines levied on auditing firms to recognised supervisory bodies.

Margot James: The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) agreed a disciplinary scheme with the accountancy professional bodies in 2004 meeting requirements in company law for it to have in place arrangements with the recognised supervisory bodies for the purposes of disciplining auditors. The funding basis for the scheme was that the professional bodies would fund the costs of disciplinary actions and that any costs and fines ordered against the members of their bodies would be paid to those bodies.New statutory powers for the FRC to impose fines on auditing firms were introduced in the Statutory Auditors and Third Country Auditors Regulations 2016. The Regulations require that fines imposed under the powers must be transferred by the FRC to the Secretary of State.The FRC continues to maintain a disciplinary scheme for non-statutory audit matters: for fines recovered under those arrangements, the fines continue to be paid over to the relevant accountancy professional bodies.

Companies: Registration

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what procedures are used by Companies House to verify the authenticity of company directors, secretaries and registered addresses.

Margot James: Companies House does not have powers to verify the authenticity of company directors, secretaries and registered office addresses. However, it does carry out a number of checks on all information received; ensuring it is valid, complete, correctly formatted and in compliance with company filing requirements. The obligation to ensure the information is accurate lies with the company and its directors. An offence is committed by the company if it files false information. Companies House maintains one of the most open and extensively accessed companies’ register in the world. It is a powerful tool in identifying false, inaccurate or possibly fraudulent information. With many eyes viewing the data, errors, omissions or worse can be identified and reported.

Companies: Registration

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether any action has been taken against the promoters and officers of Magnolia Fundaction UK Ltd for filing information at Companies House which stated a director's name as The Chicken Thief and described his occupation as fraudster.

Margot James: No action has been taken at this time against the promoters and officers of Magnolia Fundaction UK Ltd for filing inappropriate information in Italian at Companies House. The company has already filed documents providing appropriate information and terminating the inappropriate appointment.

Professional Organisations: Freedom of Information

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which Recognised Professional Bodies are authorised to regulate insolvency but are not subject to Freedom of Information legislation.

Margot James: None of the Recognised Professional Bodies who regulate insolvency are subject to Freedom of Information legislation.

Financial Services: Freedom of Information

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which organisations are authorised to act as Recognised Supervisory Bodies under the Companies Act but not subject to Freedom of Information legislation.

Margot James: The following bodies are authorised to act as Recognised Supervisory Bodies under the Companies Act 2006: The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales; Chartered Accountants Ireland; The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland; and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. They are independent private bodies and are not subject to the Freedom of Information Act.

British Home Stores: Insolvency

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress is being made on the Insolvency Service's investigation into the affairs of BHS.

Margot James: It would not be appropriate for details of the Insolvency Service’s ongoing investigation into BHS to be made public at this point, as that may prejudice the outcome of any criminal or civil cases which arise from it.

Minimum Wage

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government is taking to empower local authorities to tackle non-compliance with the National Minimum Wage.

Margot James: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19th September 2017 to Question UIN 10031.

Gratuities

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to publish the results from his Department's consultation on Tips, gratuities, cover and service charges; and if he will make a statement.

Margot James: The Government is currently considering next steps in light of responses to the consultation.

Companies: Ownership

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many fines have been issued for non-compliance with the People with Significant Control register; and how much has been paid in such fines.

Margot James: No fines have been issued for non-compliance with the requirements to file people with significant control information (PSC) with Companies House. Compliance is Companies House’ primary aim, rather than prosecution. It is taking action to ensure that all companies on the active register report their PSC information.

Companies: Ownership

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the number of companies that have not complied with the terms of the People with Significant Control register.

Margot James: Companies House's internal statistics indicate that 130,000 companies on its active register (around 3% of the total) have not yet provided information on their people with significant control.

Companies: Registration

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has taken any action against the promoters and officers of Magnolia Fundaction UK Ltd for filing information at Companies House which gave an officer's address as 00 Via Dei 40 Landroni, Ali Babba, Italy 00100.

Margot James: No action has been taken at this time against the promoters and officers of Magnolia Fundaction UK Ltd for filing inappropriate information in Italian at Companies House.

Natural Gas: EU Law

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of domestic regulatory options through the National Grid and Ofgem on allowing merchant gas assets to remain competitive until changes to EU law are implemented.

Richard Harrington: The UK benefits from a diverse range of gas sources. Merchant gas assets (including gas interconnectors and gas storage assets) play key roles in a flexible energy system and offer significant benefits by facilitating the efficient transport, storage, and trading of gas, and by promoting efficient wholesale prices through increased competition. EU legislation currently underpins the regulation of these merchant assets, with domestic regulation overseen by Ofgem, the independent regulator. The government aims to maximise the benefits of gas interconnection as part of its future relationship with the EU.

Energy Supply

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what energy contingencies the UK will rely on after the recent closure of the Rough gas storage facility.

Richard Harrington: The proposed closure of Rough does not significantly affect security of gas supply which remains strong. Great Britain continues to benefit from highly diverse and flexible sources of gas supply, including indigenous production, six international gas pipelines with Norway, Belgium and the Netherlands, and three LNG terminals. Analysis shows GB supplies can meet gas demand even under severe weather conditions for an extended period of time, and this has always happened.

Natural Gas

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on gas security of supply in the event that Interconnector UK closes after the end of its contract in October 2018.

Richard Harrington: The UK benefits from a strong, liquid market which has delivered a system built on supply diversity. This, coupled with spare capacity, means the UK gas system is resilient to multiple infrastructure losses – including any closure of the IUK interconnector.Current and forecast levels of GB supply and storage infrastructure are sufficient to meet all customer demand in all but the most extreme and unlikely scenarios.

Natural Gas: EU Law

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on the UK's merchant gas interconnectors of the EU network codes governing gas transmission operators.

Richard Harrington: Regulation of Great Britain’s gas market, including merchant gas interconnection, is a matter for Ofgem, and it is for them to assess the impact of regulatory changes to the market as a whole. However, the Department works closely with Ofgem to keep the whole gas market under review.

Interconnector

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what alternative regulatory frameworks his Department has considered following the cessation of storage at the Rough gas storage facility to ensure that Interconnector UK is able to continue to operate.

Richard Harrington: Ofgem is Great Britain’s independent regulator and it is for them to decide the regulatory framework that is in the best interests of consumers present and future.

Interconnector

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the closure of Interconnector UK on the security of UK gas supplies, market volatility and consumer household gas prices.

Richard Harrington: The UK benefits from a strong, liquid market which has delivered a system built on supply diversity. It would not be appropriate to comment on a specific company which remains open and operational. However, we have assessed the system’s resilience if we were to lose one or more major pieces of infrastructure. We will publish our detailed analysis shortly. In summary, our assessment is that UK gas supply would be resilient to multiple infrastructure losses. We enjoy diverse and competitive supplies of gas which have always historically responded very effectively to the loss of major infrastructure minimising any consumer price effects.

Hinkley Point C Power Station

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will provide a breakdown of the estimate of the total whole life costs for Hinkley Point C in the major project portfolio data published in September 2016.

Richard Harrington: Holding answer received on 11 October 2017



The estimate of the Whole Life Costs for Hinkley Point C in the major project portfolio data is £49,891.2m. The Whole Life Costs are determined by the difference between the Strike Price and the long-term Wholesale Electricity Price forecasts, which are influenced by market prices for fossil fuels, which may vary. The Whole Life Cycle costs have been calculated in nominal terms and have not been discounted.

EURATOM

Darren Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy of 12 July 2017, Official Report, columns 108-10WH, what progress has been made on delivering an alternative body to Euratom ahead of the UK's proposed withdrawal from Euratom in May 2019.

Richard Harrington: The Government has made significant progress on this. In a written ministerial statement on the 14th September, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said that we have decided to establish a domestic nuclear safeguards regime which is as comprehensive and robust as that currently provided by Euratom.This new regime will deliver to existing Euratom standards and exceed the standards that the international community would require from the UK as a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency. We have already started building additional capability within the UK’s Office for Nuclear Regulation, who will be running the regime.

Space Technology

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department has taken to support the UK space industry during the negotiations on the UK leaving the EU.

Joseph Johnson: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I have made it clear that we want our companies and our universities to continue participating in key EU space programmes.Furthermore my Department has shown strong support for the UK space industry through the €1.4bn investment I made with the European Space Agency in December 2016. I have also announced an investment of £99m in a National Satellite Testing Facility at Harwell.

Digital Technology: Television

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the timetable is for the publication of the responses to the call for views by the Intellectual Property Office on IPTV set-top boxes.

Joseph Johnson: Holding answer received on 11 October 2017



We will publish responses to the call for views alongside the Government response. I would like to assure the hon. Member that we are continuing to work with industry and enforcement partners to build a coordinated response to the growth of illicit streaming.

Nuclear Weapons

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on the implications of the section entitled Advantages to the UK's nuclear deterrent programme on page 22 of the Rolls Royce document UK SMR: A National Endeavour; what information his Department holds on the relevance of the UK's civil nuclear programme to the UK's naval nuclear weapons programme; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Harrington: I have not discussed Rolls-Royce's Small Modular Reactor proposal with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence. The department's interaction with Rolls-Royce on Small Modular Reactors has focussed on the application of their technology for civil electricity generation. Defence and civil nuclear are two separate programmes, though there is liaison in important areas such as waste management and the shared skills base.

Energy: Housing

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the number of fuel-poor homes which are insulated below Energy Performance Certificate Band C in each year since 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Claire Perry: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Energy: Prices

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the effect of the statutory obligation on Ofgem to consult with energy firms on an energy price cap across standard variable tariffs on the time taken to implement such a cap.

Richard Harrington: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Small Businesses: Technology

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what support his Department provides to small businesses for the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies.

Claire Perry: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Solar Power and Wind Power

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress his Department has made on considering the case for future contracts for difference rounds for solar and onshore wind since October 2016; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Harrington: We are pleased that the costs of established technologies such as onshore wind and solar are continuing to fall and are increasingly competitive with conventional generation. No decision has been taken on running another Contracts for Difference allocation round for these technologies but we have said that we do not believe that more large-scale onshore wind power is right for England.It is right that we should focus support on those technologies where it is most needed, which is why we announced in the Clean Growth Strategy that we would make up to £557 million of annual funding available for less established technologies including, subject to State aid approval, onshore wind projects on remote islands that directly benefit local communities. The next auction is planned for spring 2019.

British Coal Pension Funds

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recommendations the British Coal pension schemes trustees have made on the current 50/50 surplus arrangements; and whether he plans to reform the arrangements in line with such recommendations.

Richard Harrington: No recent recommendations have been made in respect of surplus sharing arrangements for the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme and no reform is planned. The current arrangements continue to work well for all parties.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Egypt: Non-governmental Organisations

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the ability of non-governmental organisations to operate freely in Egypt and the restrictions they face; and when and at what levels that issue was last raised by UK officials with their Egyptian counterparts.

Alistair Burt: The UK is deeply concerned over the ability of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to operate freely in Egypt. Ministers and senior officials regularly raise human rights concerns with Egyptian authorities; this includes restrictions on civil society. I raised these issues with Egyptian counterparts during my visit to Cairo in August 2017. The UK also raised concerns about restrictions on civil society and media freedoms in Egypt at the UN Human Rights Council in September 2017.The UK believes that respect for individual and civil rights in Egypt is fundamental to Egyptian stability and prosperity and we will continue to urge Egypt to reduce restrictions on NGOs operating in the country, both in bilateral and multilateral fora.

Egypt: Demonstrations

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of is of progress towards identifying who was accountable for the violent dispersal of protestors in Cairo's Rab'a al-Adawiya Square on 13 August 2013; and when and at what levels that issue was last raised by UK officials with their Egyptian counterparts.

Alistair Burt: Our Ambassador to Cairo raised the dispersal of protestors in Raba'a Square with the Chair of the Egyptian Parliamentary Human Rights Committee in January. The British Government is not aware of any Egyptian accountability processes relating to the dispersal, though it is an issue to which we continue to attach importance.Egypt is a Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Human Rights Priority Country. FCO Ministers have asked the Egyptian authorities to take action to release journalists and political detainees who remain imprisoned, review mass judicial decisions and remove restrictions on civil society. I raised these concerns during my visit to Cairo in August. We are also deeply concerned about reports of torture and mistreatment in detention in Egypt and continue to raise these issues with the Egyptian authorities. We have raised these concerns in public, through the UN Human Rights Council and through the FCO's Human Rights Priority Country reports, and in private in meetings with Egyptian government representatives in London and in Cairo.

Egypt: Counter-terrorism

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the level of assessment he has made of disappearances, mass arbitrary arrests, torture, deaths in custody and extra-judicial killings committed by the Egyptian forces in the context of their counter-terrorism operation in Sinai; and when and at what levels that issue was last raised by UK officials with their Egyptian counterparts.

Alistair Burt: UK officials regularly raise human rights concerns with their Egyptian counterparts. Egypt is a Foreign Office Human Rights Priority Country. Our Annual Human Rights report for 2016, which reviewed developments pertaining to human rights abuses in Egypt is available on gov.uk.The UK raised concerns about torture, enforced disappearance and extra-judicial killings in our national statement at the UN Human Rights Council in September 2017 and Foreign Office Ministers have also publicly expressed the UK’s deep concern about the human rights situation in Egypt. We look to the Egyptian government to respect the rights guaranteed in Egypt’s constitution and investigate all reports of abuses, whether they occur in the Sinai.We will continue to monitor the human rights situation in Egypt, and to urge the Egyptian government to implement the human rights provisions contained in its constitution.

Giulio Regeni

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of progress towards identifying who was accountable for the abduction, torture and murder of Giulio Regeni, including the arrest and continuing detention of the legal adviser to the Regeni family, Ibrahim Metwally Hagazy; and when and at what levels that issue was last raised by UK officials with their Egyptian counterparts.

Alistair Burt: Officials have followed the case of Giulio Regeni closely since his disappearance in Cairo on 25 January 2016. We were appalled by Mr Regeni's murder, and the brutal manner of his killing. As Mr Regeni was an Italian citizen, the Italian Government is taking the lead role on his case. We have raised the need for a transparent and impartial investigation into the circumstances of Mr Regeni's murder with the Egyptian authorities at Ministerial and official levels. We are deeply concerned by the arrest of human rights lawyer Ibrahim Metwally Hegazy. The Embassy in Cairo is following up this case with the Egyptian authorities. The UK has made clear its concerns about enforced disappearances, as well as the wider human rights situation in Egypt, through its national statement at the recent session of the UN Human Rights Council.

Middle East: Peace Negotiations

Ms Marie Rimmer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to facilitate negotiations between the Israeli Government and the Palestinian Authority on peace in the Middle East.

Alistair Burt: ​We continue to believe the two-state solution is the only viable long-term solution to the Arab Israeli conflict. We are concerned that ongoing settlement construction, incitement and terrorist attacks are undermining prospects for peace. Ultimately we believe that peace will only come through negotiations between the parties, but international action could play a role in supporting progress. We are in close consultation with international partners including the US about what kind of renewed process might have a better chance of success, including one with a greater role for regional partners.

Iran: Nuclear Power

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for the Iran nuclear deal of (a) ballistic missile tests carried out by Iran since July 2015 and (b) reports that Iran has provided support for the advancement of North Korea's development of nuclear weapons.

Alistair Burt: We are committed to the full implementation of the Iran nuclear deal – the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action – by all parties. Iran is in compliance with its nuclear-related commitments, as confirmed by the 31 August report of the International Atomic Energy Agency. UN Security Council Resolution 2231 calls upon Iran not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons. Since July 2015, Iran has carried out a number of ballistic missile tests and has launched a space launch vehicle using such technology. This activity is not a breach of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. But it is inconsistent with UN Security Council Resolution 2231 and we have written to the UN Secretary General with France, Germany and the US to express our concern. We call upon Iran to refrain from such activity.We condemn North Korea's illegal nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. We are monitoring its programme developments, as the Foreign Secretary alluded to during his remarks to Parliament on 5 September. The assessment of any links between Iran and North Korea is sensitive information. It is the long-standing policy of the Government not to comment on matters relating to intelligence or national security.

Sajaad Mohamed Abu Abdallah

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Saudi Arabian counterpart on the fatal shooting of Sajaad Mohammed Abdalla in Awamiya on 12 June 2017.

Alistair Burt: Our Ambassador to Saudi Arabia raised the operation in Awamiyah with the Government of Saudi Arabia on 26 July, including measures to guard against civilian casualties. The Saudi authorities underlined the seriousness it placed on fulfilling its responsibilities to all its citizens, including the Shia. We continue to monitor the situation in Awamiyah closely and we will continue to raise legitimate concerns at every appropriate opportunity. The British Government strongly supports the right to freedom of religion or belief, which is restricted in Saudi Arabia; and thus it remains a Foreign & Commonwealth Office human rights priority country.

Bahrain: Political Prisoners

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Government of Bahrain on the provision of (a) adequate food, (b) medical care and (c) contact with family members for (i) all political prisoners, (ii) Ebtisam al-Saegh and (iii) Hajar Mansoor.

Alistair Burt: The UK continues to encourage the Government of Bahrain to deliver on its international and domestic human rights commitments. ​We encourage those with concerns about treatment in detention to report these to the relevant human rights oversight bodies.

Sayed Alwadaei

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has made representations to the Government of Bahrain about allegations of arbitrary arrest, detention and torture of relatives of Sayed Ahmend Al Wadaei.

Alistair Burt: ​We encourage those with concerns about treatment in detention to report these to the relevant human rights oversight bodies. The UK continues to encourage the Government of Bahrain to deliver on its international and domestic human rights commitments.

Saudi Arabia: Politics and Government

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he (a) has made and (b) plans to make to the Government of Saudi Arabia on adequate housing and compensation for civilians who have fled recent violence in Awamiya.

Alistair Burt: Our Ambassador to Saudi Arabia raised the operation in Awamiyah with the Government of Saudi Arabia on 26 July, including measures to guard against civilian casualties. The Saudi authorities underlined the seriousness it placed on fulfilling its responsibilities to all its citizens, including the Shia. We continue to monitor the situation in Awamiyah closely and we will continue to raise legitimate concerns at every appropriate opportunity. The British Government strongly supports the right to freedom of religion or belief, which is restricted in Saudi Arabia; and thus it remains a Foreign & Commonwealth Office human rights priority country.

Saudi Arabia: Politics and Government

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he (a) has made and (b) plans to make to the Government of Saudi Arabia on discrimination against Shiite citizens of that country, including in the town of Awamiya.

Alistair Burt: Our Ambassador to Saudi Arabia raised the operation in Awamiyah with the Government of Saudi Arabia on 26 July, including measures to guard against civilian casualties. The Saudi authorities underlined the seriousness it placed on fulfilling its responsibilities to all its citizens, including the Shia. We continue to monitor the situation in Awamiyah closely and we will continue to raise legitimate concerns at every appropriate opportunity. The British Government strongly supports the right to freedom of religion or belief, which is restricted in Saudi Arabia; and thus it remains a Foreign and Commonwealth Office human rights priority country.

Israel: Intelligence Services

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Israeli Government on intelligence-gathering targeting pro-Palestinian activists; whether he has requested any information from Israel about UK nationals; and whether he holds any information on the number of UK citizens affected by such intelligence gathering.

Alistair Burt: It is the longstanding policy of successive UK Governments not to comment on intelligence matters.

Israel: Entry Clearances

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect on UK citizens of the Israeli laws which preclude entry to that country for pro-Palestinian activists, supporters of the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions Campaign and people who call for a ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements.

Alistair Burt: We have not made any assessment. It is for Israel to decide its immigration policy. The UK's immigration policy is similarly protected. We have updated our travel advice recommending that concerned UK nationals contact the Israeli Embassy for further information.

Saudi Arabia: Politics and Government

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Government of Saudi Arabia for a fair and thorough investigation into use of firearms by Saudi security forces during demolition of Awamiya's historic quarter and deaths of residents.

Alistair Burt: Our Ambassador to Saudi Arabia raised the operation in Awamiyah with the Government of Saudi Arabia on 26 July, including measures to guard against civilian casualties. The Saudi authorities underlined the seriousness it placed on fulfilling its responsibilities to all its citizens, including the Shia. We continue to monitor the situation in Awamiyah closely and we will continue to raise legitimate concerns at every appropriate opportunity. The British Government strongly supports the right to freedom of religion or belief, which is restricted in Saudi Arabia; and thus it remains a Foreign & Commonwealth Office human rights priority country.

Elias Faisal Al-Mulla

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Government of Bahrain on the provision of (a) adequate medical care and (b) contact with family members for Elias Faisal al-Mulla.

Alistair Burt: ​We encourage those with concerns about treatment in detention to report these to the relevant human rights oversight bodies. The UK continues to encourage the Government of Bahrain to deliver on its international and domestic human rights commitments.

Causeway Institute for Peace-building and Conflict Resolution International

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what funding was allocated to the Causeway Institute for Peace-building and Conflict Resolution (CIPCR) for projects in the former Yugoslavia in 2017-18; how much his Department spent on training for the Bahrain Institute for Political Development (BIPD) in 2017-18; how many (a) workshops, (b) training events, (c) meetings and (d) other engagements between CIPCR and BIPD have taken place since 2012; on what dates and in which locations such events took place; and on what dates Overseas Security and Justice Guidance Assessments were conducted on those projects.

Alistair Burt: ​There are no projects being funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office this financial year (2017/18) with either the Causeway Institute for Peace-building and Conflict Resolution (CIPCR) or the Bahrain Institute for Political Development (BIPD) for projects in Bahrain. The UK has worked with the Government of Bahrain to encourage progress on human rights in areas which include focusing on building effective and accountable institutions, strengthening the rule of law and justice reform. All of our work aims to support these institutions to operate in line with international standards, including on human rights, through sharing UK expertise and experience. Any training provided by, or on behalf of, the UK Government complies with our domestic and international human rights obligations and internal government guidance. As part of the programme process which CIPCR undertook between 2013-2016, there were a variety of events and meetings in Bahrain. CIPCR are not used for any project work in the former Yugoslavia.

Yemen: Armed Conflict

Deidre  Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking  to help de-escalate the conflict in Yemen; and whether the Government supports a UN-led independent investigation into alleged violations of human rights by all sides of that conflict.

Alistair Burt: The UK has played a leading role in diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the conflict in Yemen, including bringing together key international actors to try to find a peaceful solution. The UK proposed a UN Security Council Presidential Statement (PRST) which was agreed on 15 June. This statement called for a return to UN-led peace talks and an end to the fighting. We support the UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, in facilitating a credible peace process in Yemen and we are providing £1 million to the Special Envoy's office to bolster UN capacity to facilitate the peace process.The UK is concerned by the human rights situation in Yemen and takes allegations of violations of international human rights law very seriously. That is why we strongly supported the Human Rights Council resolution passed on 29 September. We welcome the agreement of an impactful, single consensus resolution on the human rights situation in Yemen. This text has the potential to make a real difference for Yemeni people. We will work to ensure it is fully implemented.

Nigeria: Religious Freedom

Mr Simon Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the Nigerian Government protects (a) religious minorities and (b) the rights of the Igbo people in that country.

Rory Stewart: This Government is firmly committed to promoting and protecting the right to freedom of religion or belief around the world. Religious freedom is protected by the Nigerian Constitution and we regularly discuss with the Nigerian government, at the highest levels, our concern about threats to this right in Nigeria.The UK fully supports the territorial integrity of Nigeria and we are committed to working with Nigeria to help tackle threats to national security. We are concerned about violent clashes in Nigeria but we do not assess that there is institutionalised persecution of the Igbo or any other peoples by the Nigerian authorities. We will continue to underline the importance of freedom of expression and the rule of law with all parties, including the Nigerian government.

Cameroon: Violence

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in Cameroon on violence and unrest in the anglophone region of that country.

Rory Stewart: The Government is deeply concerned to hear reports of deaths and injuries in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon. We call for restraint and for all parties to reject violence, pursue dialogue and reduce tensions.The High Commissioner raised our concerns about the handling of protests in the Anglophone region with the Minister of External Relations on 11 October. He also met Prime Minister Philémon Yang on 27 September and on 10 October. He also raised our concern with the Minister of Communication on 9 October, and the Minister of Defence, Director General of Intelligence and the Minister of Higher Education on 10 October. He reiterated the United Kingdom's position in television interviews on 9 and 10 October.We continue to call for restraint among all parties and for urgent action to address the causes of the crisis.

Nigeria: Politics and Government

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the situation in the south-east region of Nigeria.

Rory Stewart: The British Government is concerned by the violence in south east Nigeria but we do not assess that there is institutionalised persecution of the Igbo or any other peoples by the Nigerian authorities. The UK fully supports the territorial integrity of Nigeria and President Buhari's commitment to work for a secure and prosperous Nigeria. We are committed to working with Nigeria to help tackle threats to national security and the underlying causes of instability. We echo President Buhari's calls for calm and reconciliation between the many ethnic groups and communities that make up and contribute to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Nigeria: Politics and Government

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has (a) made to and (b) received from the Nigerian Government on the use of force against unarmed citizens in the south-east region of that country.

Rory Stewart: We were concerned by reports of violent clashes between security forces and separatist protesters in Abia State. We recognise the right to peaceful and lawful protest as part of the democratic process. During my visit to Nigeria in June, I raised the issue of community tensions with the Governor of Kaduna. The Governors of the Northern States of Nigeria condemned the threats against the Igbo people, as did Vice President Osinbajo, then Acting President, who also called for unity.

Syria: Peace Negotiations

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the outcome of the most recent round of negotiations in Geneva on the civil war in Syria.

Boris Johnson: The most recent round of UN led Intra–Syrian talks took place in Geneva from 10 to 14 July 2017. The opposition High Negotiations Committee worked constructively alongside other opposition groups engaged in the political process. In contrast the regime delegation filibustered, prevaricated and exhibited no readiness to discuss matters of substance. We call on all parties to be ready for the next round of talks expected in the next few weeks, and urge the regime’s sponsors to use their influence to ensure it demonstrates the same commitment as the opposition to pursuing a negotiated solution. This remains the only path to a lasting peace in Syria.

Syria: Inquiries

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for the work of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic of the recent resignation of Carla Del Ponte.

Boris Johnson: The UK strongly supports the work of the Commission of Inquiry. Its reports have shone a light on the most serious human rights violations and abuses which have been committed in the Syrian conflict, and its work is an important contribution towards our aim of ensuring accountability for the crimes committed in Syria. We note the Commission’s confirmation that its vital work will continue following Ms Del Ponte’s resignation and we will continue to support it.

Syria: Armed Conflict

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in (a) the United States and (b) Turkey on the recent decision by the US Administration to provide arms to Kurdish members of the YPG militia in Syria.

Boris Johnson: The decision to provide arms is a matter for the US government. I discuss the situation in Syria in almost every conversation I have with my US and Turkish counterparts. Turkey is a close partner and has made a significant contribution to addressing the crisis in Syria; we recognise their legitimate security interests. The Syrian Democratic Forces, comprised of Arab fighters as well as Kurdish YPG, continue to make an important contribution to the fight against Daesh, particularly in the city of Raqqa, which is now approaching liberation.

Syria: Armed Conflict

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for the Government's policy on Syria of the recent decision by the US Administration to end its provision of arms to certain rebel groups in that country.

Boris Johnson: The British Government cannot comment on reports of changes in US support; these are a matter for the US. We remain committed to working for a political transition in Syria. The moderate opposition, which has demonstrated its commitment to a political settlement, is a key part of this. Through our Conflict, Stability and Security Fund programme, the UK is providing over £60 million annually to support the moderate opposition, Syrian civilians and their communities.

Madagascar: Infectious Diseases

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he plans to update official advice on travel to Madagascar as a result of the recent outbreak of plague in Madagascar.

Rory Stewart: FCO travel advice was updated on 4 October to reflect the recent outbreak of bubonic and pneumonic plague in Madagascar. We will continue to monitor the situation closely.​​

Syria: Armed Conflict

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the memorandum issued by the Governments of Russia, Iran and Turkey on 4 May 2017 following negotiations in Astana, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness to date of the establishment of deconfliction areas and security zones in Syria.

Boris Johnson: We welcome any initiative that contributes to a reduction of violence in Syria. Russia, Iran and Turkey have created a number of de-escalation agreements under the auspices of the Astana process, although the detail of these arrangements remain opaque and violence has continued to varying extents in these areas. Separately, the US, Russia and Jordan agreed a ceasefire in south-west Syria in July and are working on turning this into a fully-fledged De-escalation Area. So far, this ceasefire has held.Despite lower levels of violence in much of Syria in recent months, we are appalled by credible recent reports of airstrikes by the Asad regime and its backers on Idlib and northern Hama, killing civilians. Airstrikes have reportedly targeted medical facilities, as well as schools. We call on all sides to respect agreed de-escalation agreements and cessations of hostilities, and to make every effort to support the political process in Geneva towards a national political settlement that would finally end the conflict.

Cabinet Office

Gulf Strategy Unit: Finance

David Linden: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what funding has been allocated to the Gulf Strategy Integrated Delivery Team for 2017-18.

Damian Green: The Gulf Strategy Integrated Delivery Team has been allocated a budget of £850,000in 2017-18.

Electoral Register: Northern Ireland

Cat Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish a timetable for the introduction of online electoral registration in Northern Ireland.

Chris Skidmore: The Cabinet Office and Northern Ireland Office are supporting the Chief Electoral Officer inNorthern Ireland in her intensive work to ensure the system under development is properlytested and robust, with a view to introducing online registration as soon as possible.

Electoral Register

Cat Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that funding for Electoral Registration Offices reflects the scale of activity required to process electoral registration applications ahead of major polls.

Chris Skidmore: The majority of electoral registration activity is funded by local authorities across England, Scotland and Wales. In turn, local authorities receive funding for this purpose from central Government.Since the introduction of Individual Electoral Registration the Cabinet Office has provided tens of millions of pounds of additional funding to cover certain costs. This funding will continue to be offered, with Electoral Registration Officers provided some funding upfront and able to bid for additional funding where this can be justified.

EU Nationals: Elections

Layla Moran: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make it his policy to allow EU27 citizens who are awarded settled status to be able to vote in (a) local government, (b) police and crime commissioner, (c) mayoral, (d) London Assembly, (e) National Assembly for Wales, (f) Scottish Parliament, (g) Northern Ireland Assembly and (h) Parliament elections.

Chris Skidmore: The matter of voting rights of EU citizens in the UK is currently part of the wider negotiationwith the EU.

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting

Kate Osamor: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many staff including consultants have been hired across Government Departments for work on the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in April 2018; and what the total cost of those staff is to date.

Caroline Nokes: The Cabinet Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Syria: Military Intervention

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make it his policy to review the Government's redactions of the Intelligence and Security Committee's April 2017 UK Lethal Drone Strikes in Syria report; and if he will make a statement.

Damian Green: The Government made redactions to the UK Lethal Drone Strikes in Syria report as permitted bythe Justice and Security Act 2013 and the terms set out in the Memorandum of Understanding,which was agreed with the Intelligence and Security Committee under that Act. There are no plansto review redactions to the report.

Cabinet Office: Sick Pay

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the cost of sickness pay to staff in his Department was in each of the 10 years prior to June 2016.

Caroline Nokes: The Cabinet Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Electoral Register

Cat Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government plans to take to reduce bureaucracy in voter registration processes during and outside canvass periods.

Chris Skidmore: We are committed to improving and modernising electoral registration and are taking anumber of actions to meet this aim. For example, we are currently conducting 24 pilotsrelating to the annual canvass with a view to simplifying this in future. The results of thesepilots will be available in 2018 and we will set out next steps at that time.The programme is currently managing 23 local authorities undertaking canvass pilots thisyear, following on from 3 local authorities who piloted last year. These pilots are thestarting point to gather evidence with the view of implementing changes to the canvass forthe 2019 canvass. The models that are currently being piloted look at how to reduce theburdens of the canvass and reduce the bureaucracy. A working group with our keystakeholders has been set up to start developing potential model ideas for a lessbureaucratic registration process.

Public Sector: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 14 September 2017 to Question 7608, on Public Sector: Procurement, how many service users waived their right to anonymity in the last 12 months.

Caroline Nokes: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 11 October 2017.The correct answer should have been:

Checking tax compliance is the responsibility of the contracting authority. This information is not held centrally. In the 12 months from 1 October 2016 to 30 September 2017, 59 users of the MysteryShopper service waived their right to anonymity.

Caroline Nokes: Checking tax compliance is the responsibility of the contracting authority. This information is not held centrally. In the 12 months from 1 October 2016 to 30 September 2017, 59 users of the MysteryShopper service waived their right to anonymity.

Government Property Unit

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 12 September 2017 to Question 8258, what proportion of the Government Property Unit's resource is (a) interim and (b) permanent.

Caroline Nokes: The Government Property Unit currently has headcount of 76 FTE - of this only 2 staff are interims - this equates to 2.6% of our GPU headcount.

Government Property Unit

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 12 September 2017 to Question 8258, what the expected peaks are that the Government Property Unit will have to manage.

Caroline Nokes: The Government Property Unit sets out its objectives and milestones in its Business Plan which is monitored internally throughout the year.During 2017/18 there are a number of initiatives which will be managed by the Unit including the co-creation of a refreshed Government Estate Strategy with departments; work to prepare for the launch of the Government Property Agency; an on-going focus on the release of public land and assets for housing and capital receipts; launching phase 6 of the One Public Estate initiative and supporting the government’s Industrial Strategy through potential relocations.

Government Departments: Buildings

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 12 September 2017 to Question 8204, on the live trials of the New Property Model, what evidence informing the Go-Live decision will be made public.

Caroline Nokes: The Shadow Government Property Agency (GPA) is committed to our internal assurance and audit of the evidence to support conditions precedent for Go-Live.When all conditions are satisfied, a public announcement will be made for the official launch of the GPA.

Equifax

Liam Byrne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government's joint venture with Equifax remains operational.

Chris Skidmore: Government entered into a contract with a subsidiary of Equifax Ltd called TDX Group Ltd, to form the jointventure, Integrated Debt Services Ltd. This is the “Debt Market Integrator” (DMI) contract. This joint ventureremains operational.

Government Property Unit: Staff

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 13 September 2017 to Question 8257, on Government Property Unit: staff, how many and what proportion of unit staff are interim staff; and how many such staff are seconded from outside the Government.

Caroline Nokes: Our records show that (a) two interim staff are currently employed in the Government Property Unit and (b) one employee is currently seconded into the GPU from outside Government. The current headcount for GPU is 76 FTE.

Government Property Unit

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 12 September 2017 to Question 8508, on the Government Property Unit, what the 13 applications were which were granted with conditions attached to the approval; and what conditions were attached to each of those applications.

Caroline Nokes: GPU does not release the specific detail relating to individual applications for expenditure as these are commercially sensitive. It would be the applicant department’s decision as to whether to release this information. The 13 applications were received from the following departments: Department for EducationDepartment of HealthMinistry of JusticeDepartment for Work and PensionsDepartment for Business, Energy & Industrial StrategyDepartment for Communities & Local GovernmentDepartment for Environment, Food & Rural AffairsDepartment for Digital, Culture, Media & SportDepartment of Energy & Climate ChangeThe conditions applied relate to: Confirmation or commercial conditions relating to lease terms (in four instances)Moving to government hubs in the future (in three instances)Presenting plans for future relocation or estate strategy by a set date (in two instances)Provision of further information which supports the application madeEnsuring future improvements to energy efficiency are madeEngaging with the One Public Estate programme to establish future opportunities for sharing spaceSeeking HM Treasury approval

Government Departments: Buildings

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 4 September 2017 to Question 8361, what the five most common conditions attached to agreements to extend or renew lets with Government Departments are; and to how many agreements each such condition is applied to.

Caroline Nokes: Conditions are recorded in the approval issued to departments as part of the operation of the National Property Control. Since 1 April 2016, 126 applications have been received and of these 13 are recorded with conditions attached to the approval. The conditions applied relate to:Confirmation or commercial conditions relating to lease terms (in four instances)Moving to government hubs in the future (in three instances)Presenting plans for future relocation or estate strategy by a set date (in two instances)Provision of further information which supports the application madeEnsuring future improvements to energy efficiency are madeEngaging with the One Public Estate programme to establish future opportunities for sharing spaceSeeking HM Treasury approval

Government Departments: Empty Property

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many buildings owned by government departments are empty in (a) West Sussex and (b) Mid Sussex constituency; which those buildings are; to which departments those buildings belong; and what plans he has for the future use of those buildings.

Caroline Nokes: The Government Property Unit is responsible for minimising vacancy by supporting departments to sell, sublet, find alternative use, and to do early surrenders. Interventions such as these have contributed significantly to minimising the vacancy rates and cost to the taxpayer.As shown in the State of the Estate Report 2015-16 published in February 2017, total vacant space represents 1.4% of the entire Central Estate, a drop of 2% from 2014–15. This is well below the average in the private sector of 8.9%.No buildings appear on the unit’s electronic property system as vacant in the Mid-Sussex area. The buildings listed below are currently listed for disposal in the West Sussex region. There are no other records marked as surplus, or offering vacant space in West Sussex, or the Mid-Sussex constituency:Property NameAddressDepartmentCHICHESTER COMBINED COURTSOUTHGATE, CHICHESTER, WEST SUSSEX, PO19 1SXMinistry of JusticeCHICHESTER MAGISTRATES COURTMARKET AVENUE, CHICHESTER, WEST SUSSEX, PO19 1YEMinistry of Justice

Cybercrime: USA

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of adopting in the UK a programme similar to the US Department of Defense trial bug bounty programme organised through the US Digital Service on the HackerOne platform.

Caroline Nokes: Having a recognised process around handling vulnerability disclosures is an important part of any organisation’s security maturity. A bug bounty program similar to that rolled out in the US can be part of that process, but initially it is important to develop a mature way of receiving, triaging and remediating those vulnerabilities disclosed to UK Government. NCSC are currently running a private pilot for handling vulnerability disclosure ahead of rolling it out HMG-wide.

Department for International Development

Cyprus: Visits Abroad

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether she plans to visit Cyprus during the current parliamentary session.

Rory Stewart: The Secretary of State has no current plans to visit Cyprus.

Occupied Territories: Overseas Aid

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, when she plans to publish the review of her Department's aid programme in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Alistair Burt: The Secretary of State has concluded a full examination of DFID’s programme in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). The outcomes of the examination are reflected in DFID’s published country profile for the Occupied Palestinian Territories which can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dfid-occupied-palestinian-territories-profile-july-2017.

Department for Education

Johnson Kane

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will set out the information obtained by background checks carried out by her Department on Johnson Kane, the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Education Fellowship Trust.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Department completed a range of background checks on Johnson Kane and gained assurance that The Education Followship Trust had conducted their own due diligence. Personal information held by the Department is regarded as confidential and is not normally disclosed publicly or to third parties without the consent of the person concerned.

Members: Correspondence

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when the Minister for Children and Families plans to respond to the letter dated 16 August 2017 from the hon. Member for Liverpool, West Derby on a meeting with the Liverpool City cabinet member for children and young people's services.

Mr Robert Goodwill: I wrote to the hon. Member for Liverpool, West Derby, on 10 October 2017 in response to his letter.I very much look forward to meeting with him and the Liverpool City Cabinet Member for Children and Young People’s Services.

Schools: Construction

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 12 September 2017 to Question 10246, whether the purchase of the Bowring Sports Ground required the approval of HM Treasury; whether an estimate of the cost of the work by the Environment Agency to relocate flood defences on that site was made prior to purchase; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: Pursuant to the answer to PQ10247, published on 20 September 2017, HM Treasury approval was not required for the exchange of contracts for the Bowring Sports Ground. No estimate of the cost of relocating flood defences was made prior to the exchange of contracts.

Ministry of Justice

Domestic Violence: Legal Aid Scheme

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department accepts health visitors as suitable professionals to complete and sign the letter Response from health professional to request for evidence of injuries/condition consistent with domestic violence in pursuit of the granting of legal aid.

Dominic Raab: The Government is absolutely clear that victims of domestic violence must have access to the help that they need, including access to legal aid.The existing regulations make clear that, for the purpose of the domestic violence evidence requirements for legal aid, a “health professional” means a registered (a) medical practitioner who holds a license to practice; b) nurse; (c) midwife; or (d) practitioner psychologist who holds a licence to practice. Evidence from a health visitor will be accepted providing that they are a qualified nurse, midwife or licensed practitioner psychologist.

Civil Proceedings: Legal Representation

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in how many civil law proceedings involving alleged domestic violence or child abuse one or more of the parties has chosen to represent themselves.

Dominic Raab: Information on numbers of litigants in person is not held centrally.

Employment and Support Allowance: Appeals

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average time between the commencement of an employment and support allowance appeal and a decision was in (a) Ashfield, (b) Mansfield, (c) Nottinghamshire and (d) the UK in the most recent 12-month period for which data is available.

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average time between the commencement of a personal independence payment appeal and a decision was in (a) Ashfield, (b) Mansfield, (c) Nottinghamshire and (d) the UK in the most recent 12-month period for which data is available.

Dominic Raab: The information requested is set out in the table below. United Kingdom5Chesterfield (including Ashfield and Mansfield) 6Nottinghamshire 7 Average Clearance Time (Weeks) 4Year 1PIP 2ESA 3PIP 2ESA3PIP 2ESA3July 2016-June 201716.615.416.615.516.015.5 The most recent 12 month period for which data are available is July 2016-June 2017.Personal Independence Payment (New Claim Appeals), which replaced Disability Living Allowance, was introduced on 8 April 2013, and includes Personal Independence Claims (Reassessments). In 2013/14 numbers were low and no Personal Independence Payment appeals were disposed of in the Chesterfield, Lincoln or Nottingham Venues.Includes Employment and Support Allowance (Reassessments)Average Clearance Time - time taken from appeal receipt to outcome. This includes both those cleared at hearing and those cleared without the need of a tribunal hearing.HM Courts & Tribunals Service administers appeals for appellants living in England, Scotland and Wales. Data are therefore for those appellants only. The Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service administers ESA and PIP appeals for appellants living in Northern Ireland.Ashfield and Mansfield cases are heard at the Chesterfield Venue. Data include all cases attributed to this venue.Nottinghamshire includes the venues: Lincoln (which hears appeals from people living at Nottinghamshire postcodes), Nottingham and Chesterfield. Data include all cases attributed to these venues.Although care is taken when processing and analysing the data, the details are subject to inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale case management system and are the best data available.

Commercial Law

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions he has had with the Law Commission on including a review of whether the UK's corporate laws are fit for purpose in its 13th programme of law reform.

Dominic Raab: The Secretary of State for Justice has had no discussions with the Law Commission about including a review of the UK’s corporate laws in their 13th programme of Law Reform.

Ministry of Defence

Logistic Commodities and Services: Donnington

Deidre  Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 18 July 2017 to Question 4291, for what reasons the Defence Fulfilment Centre in Donnington was opened by the Minister for Defence Procurement on 4 April 2017 two years ahead of that centre being fully operational.

Harriett Baldwin: The opening of the Defence Fulfilment Centre (DFC) in April this year marked the completion of the build; at the same time the facility became partially operational. Work continues to equip and stock the DFC to ensure full operational capability by March 2019.

Trident Submarines

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the costs of the renewal of the Trident submarine programme (a) with and (b) without (i) construction of the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station and (ii) the full projected 18 GWe UK civil nuclear power new build programme; and if he will make a statement.

Harriett Baldwin: We estimate the four new Dreadnought submarines will cost £31 billion spread over 35 years. On top of this, we are setting a contingency of £10 billion.As outlined in the 2017 Nuclear Workforce Assessment, the majority of skills required for UK civil nuclear projects are generic; however, the majority of those required for Defence are more specialised.

Ministry of Defence: Public Expenditure

Deidre  Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) global and (b) per capita spend from his Department's Regional Expenditure with the UK Industry and Commerce and Supported Employment for 2015-16 is with spend on the construction of aircraft carriers excluded.

Harriett Baldwin: The Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) Carrier programme is a showcase for British industry. It involves thousands of people in our shipyards and wider supply chain and benefits a number of UK regions. However, the Ministry of Defence does not hold regional expenditure statistics which specifically exclude the QEC Carrier programme. An explanation of the methods and assumptions used in the calculation of the regional expenditure statistics can be found in the background quality report at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mod-regional-expenditure-with-uk-industry-and-supported-employment-201516

Burma: Military Aid

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the UK has provided funding, training or other support to the military forces of Myanmar in each of the last five years.

Mark Lancaster: The UK has not provided any funding or combat training to the Burmese military, although we have been providing education training. In addition to English language training the Ministry of Defence has provided courses covering governance, human rights, accountability and international law. These courses were delivered by the Defence Academy in Burma and here in the UK.

Department for Work and Pensions

Marriage Guidance: Finance

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether it remains his policy to double relationship support funding to £70 million during the course of the current Parliament.

Caroline Dinenage: The government is committed to supporting vulnerable children and families. Parental conflict can have a damaging effect on children, by significantly increasing their risk of poor social, emotional and educational outcomes. In the light of the strength of the damaging impact of parental conflict on children, we will soon be launching a new programme to embed proven parental conflict provision in local areas. As announced in Improving Lives: Helping Workless Families, the programme will have a strong emphasis on children in workless families as they face triple the risk of experiencing parental conflict compared with those where parents are in work. We will work with the Troubled Families programme to support local areas to improve the effectiveness of their family services to address this issue, drawing on the lessons from our Local Family Offer trial.£17.5m was spent on relationship support services between April 2015 and March 2017. In April 2017 a further £30m was made available for the period April 2017- March 2020 for the new programme to reduce parental conflict. Precise expenditure from this allocation depends on the quality of proposals received by DWP from suppliers.

Parents: Counselling

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when tenders for the new £30 million inter-parental conflict programme announced in April 2017 will be published.

Caroline Dinenage: The Government is committed to delivering the new programme of support for workless families, as announced in Improving Lives: Workless Families. We acknowledge that there have been some delays to our plans for the new programme, including the election hiatus. We will be coming forward with an opportunity to tender for organisations to deliver face-to-face interventions to reduce parental conflict next year, but at this point we are not able to confirm the exact timescales for this process.

Families: Counselling

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what financial provision there is for people in need of family counselling services who are unable to pay for such services.

Caroline Dinenage: Every local authority must protect and promote the welfare of children in need in its area. To do this it must work with the family to provide support services that will enable children to be brought up within their own families. The local authority can provide a range of services for children in need, which can include advice, guidance and counselling. These services are normally provided free of charge. In addition, DWP funds the provision of relationship support services - this includes couple counselling delivered by a range of voluntary sector providers including Relate, Marriage Care and Tavistock Relationships.

Children: Maintenance

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, why the Child Maintenance Service allows non-resident parents £2,500 of unearned income that is not factored into payment plans; and whether he plans to review this policy.

Caroline Dinenage: Calculation of a child maintenance liability is based on gross income information provided directly to the Child Maintenance Service by HMRC. Individuals are required to declare unearned income not taxed at source which does not exceed £2500 a year to HMRC, which already enables HMRC to include it in the income information they provide. Unearned income exceeding £2500 a year is dealt with by HMRC through tax self-assessment and is picked up in a child maintenance calculation through an unearned income variation. We have no plans to review this.

Employment and Support Allowance

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of replacing the work capability assessment with separate assessments for employment support and for financial support; and if he will make a statement.

Penny Mordaunt: We consulted on this model of reform for the Work Capability Assessment in the Improving Lives Green Paper. We received around 6,000 consultation responses, supported by 166 accessible events across the country. Our officials have been working hard since the Green Paper consultation to analyse that fantastic response. We are working towards an autumn publication, which will provide an update on the recent work we’ve been doing, respond to the consultation, and set out our next steps.

Universal Credit: Rents

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department will collect and publish quarterly data on the number and proportion of universal credit claimants who fall into rental arrears each month.

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the proportion of people in receipt of universal credit who are in rent arrears in (a) Newcastle upon Tyne, (b) the North East and (c) England.

Damian Hinds: We do not currently have this information but we will shortly be publishing a report which analyses rent payment data with DWP Universal Credit payment records.

Employment and Support Allowance: Northern Ireland

Emma Little Pengelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average time taken is to process new claims for employment and support allowance in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months.

Emma Little Pengelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average time taken is to process new claims for jobseeker's allowance in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months.

Penny Mordaunt: The Department for Work and Pensions has responsibility for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) claims in England, Scotland and Wales only. The Department for Communities in Northern Ireland has responsibility for ESA and JSA claims in Northern Ireland, and as this is a devolved matter we do not hold this information.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Emma Little Pengelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average time taken is to process new claims for jobseeker's allowance across the UK in the last 12 months.

Damian Hinds: The average processing time for Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) claim decision to be made is 7.8 working days. This data is based on the last 12 months from October 16 – September 17.The data provided relates to claims processed in England, Scotland and Wales.

Employment and Support Allowance

Emma Little Pengelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average time taken is to process new claims for employment and support allowance across the UK in the last 12 months.

Penny Mordaunt: The average processing time for an Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claim decision to be made is 8.1 working days. This data is based on the last 12 months from October 16 – September 17. The data provided relates to claims processed in England, Scotland and Wales. This is internal management information which does not form part of the official statistics outputs that are released by the Department in accordance with the UK Statistics Authority’s Code of Practice

Children: Maintenance

Chris Elmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of people declaring incorrect incomes to avoid child support payments in the last 12 months.

Caroline Dinenage: The requested information is not readily available and can only be provided at a disproportionate cost.

Housing Benefit: Shared Housing

Sir David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of raising to 35-years the age threshold of the shared accommodation rates since January 2012.

Caroline Dinenage: The Department commissioned an independent evaluation of the changes to Local Housing Allowance (LHA) which were introduced from April 2011, including the impact of extending the age threshold for the Shared Accommodation Rate from 25 to 35 years old. The final report was published in July 2014 and can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/329902/rr874-lha-impact-of-recent-reforms-summary.pdf

Learning Disability: East Renfrewshire

Paul Masterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how (a) many employers in East Renfrewshire signed up to the Disability Confident Scheme and (b) that scheme is promoted to employers.

Penny Mordaunt: As of 22 September 2017 there were 5,162 employers signed up to Disability Confident nationally. This total includes 76 employers registered in the Glasgow West District, which takes in East Renfrewshire constituency. Information is not collected at Parliamentary Constituency level.An up-to-date list of Disability Confident employers can be viewed or downloaded from gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disability-confident-employers-that-have-signed-upEfforts to promote Disability Confident to employers are being led by The Disability Confident Business Leaders Group, which comprises prominent national businesses and industrial and professional membership bodies. The Group encourage and support other employers to sign up.Disability Confident is also promoted to employers via a wide range of Government activities including press releases, social media, events, conferences and links to the Gov.Uk site.

Children: Maintenance

Kirsty Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what percentage of Child Support Agency Arrears are deemed uncollectable in (a) Aberdeen City (b) Aberdeenshire and (c) Scotland.

Caroline Dinenage: For the Child Support Agency (CSA), Page 7 of the Client Funds Account publication provides figures on the CSA Arrears deemed uncollectable. The publication can be accessed at this link:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/578767/hc855-client-funds-account-2015-16-1993-and-2003-cms.pdfInformation on geographical breakdowns on the Client Funds Account is not routinely recorded for management information purposes and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Universal Credit: Payments

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of claimants have experienced a delay in receiving their first full universal credit payment because they do not have a suitable bank account.

Damian Hinds: DWP do not collect this data, however there should be no payments of Universal Credit delayed because a claimant does not have a bank account.A direct payment paid into a bank, building society or credit union account is the Government’s preferred way to make payments. It is the fastest, most secure and efficient way for people to receive their money, and also opens doors to other financial products and savings. If claimants do not have a suitable bank account however, DWP would pay via an alternative method of payment (such as Post office card, via simple payments or to a third party) in order not to delay payment.

Universal Credit: Payments

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average time has been for first payments to be made to new claimants of universal credit from their application date in (a) Newcastle upon Tyne, (b) the North East and (c) England since the introduction of that payment.

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of claimants have received their full universal credit payment within six weeks in (a) Newcastle upon Tyne, (b) the North East and (c) England since the introduction of that payment.

Damian Hinds: There is no data broken down by area or region. However, the latest published data on gov.uk, shows that, nationally, 81% of new Universal Credit households received their first payment in full and on time. Across the whole of Universal Credit 92% of all households received full payment on time. The data can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/universal-credit-payment-timeliness-january-to-june-2017

PAYE: Disclosure of Information

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the remit and activities of the Late, Missing and Incorrect RTI Project are.

Damian Hinds: DWP does not have a specific Late, Missing and Incorrect (LMI) RTI Project.

Social Security Benefits: Payments

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will give claimants the ability to receive benefits in line with calendar months, rather than four week periods, as is the norm for wages, bills and rent.

Damian Hinds: Universal Credit is paid monthly on the same day of each month.

Statutory Sick Pay

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2017 to Question 8608, when he plans to announce the proposed next steps on statutory sick pay.

Penny Mordaunt: Improving Lives: The Work, Health and Disability Green Paper was published on 31 October 2016 and the consultation closed on 17 February 2017. As noted in response to PQ 8608, this included consultation on how Statutory Sick Pay could be reformed to encourage supportive conversations between the employer and employee and make it easier for people to make a phased return to work.The issues addressed by the Green Paper are wide-ranging and complex and as such received a high level of responses. We are now carefully considering the consultation responses and next steps for longer-term reform and will set these out in the autumn.The Government is committed to improving employment outcomes for disabled people. The manifesto commitment underpins this with a clear and time-bound goal-to see 1 million more disabled people into work over the next 10 years.

Personal Independence Payment: Livingston

Hannah Bardell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of constituents in Livingston constituency have had their personal independence payments overturned as a result of (a) mandatory consideration and (b) an appeal hearing in each year for which data is available.

Penny Mordaunt: The latest available data on personal independence payment (PIP) clearances split by type of clearance (i.e. whether the claim was awarded, disallowed or withdrawn) can be found at https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/.Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here: https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/index.html  The table below shows the number of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Mandatory Reconsideration decisions and appeal decisions where the award was changed by year of each decision since the introduction of PIP in the Parliamentary Constituency of Livingston. Number of Mandatory Reconsiderations decisions and appeal decisions where the award changed, by financial year of decision. Year of Mandatory Reconsideration2013/142014/ 152015/ 162016/ 172017/18 (April 17 to July 17)TotalNumber of Awards Changed at Mandatory Reconsideration#40507020190   Year of Appeal Decision2013/142014/ 152015/ 162016/ 172017/18 (April 17 to July 17)TotalNumber of Awards Changed at Appeal#10606040170

Universal Credit: Food Banks

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of reports from the Trussell Trust that foodbanks in areas of full universal credit roll-out have seen a 16.85 per cent average increase in referrals for emergency food.

Damian Hinds: Reports from the Trussell Trust confirm that there are many reasons and a variety of complex, interacting underlying causes that result in people having to use foodbanks. People using foodbanks do not fit into one simple category. Universal Credit is helping people into work and we offer advances at the start of the claim so claimants have money to tide them over until their first payment.

Employment

Mr Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate he has made of trends in employment.

Damian Hinds: The UK labour market is the strongest it has been for years. Over the past year, the number of people in employment has increased by 379,000. The employment rate now stands at a record 75.3%. The unemployment rate is at 4.3%, the lowest rate since 1975.

Universal Credit: Self-employed

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2017 to Question 9283, on universal credit: self employed, what assessment he has made of the (a) effect of the roll-out of universal credit on the creative sector, (b) number of self-employed universal credit claimants and (c) financial saving achieved by the application of the minimum income floor.

Damian Hinds: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Personal Independence Payment: Greater Manchester

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people had personal independence payment  awards reduced or removed as a result of reassessment in (a) 2016-17 and (b) 2017 to date in each parliamentary constituency in Greater Manchester.

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people had personal independence payment  awards reduced or removed as a result of reassessment in (a) 2016-17 and (b) 2017 to date in each parliamentary constituency in the UK.

Penny Mordaunt: The attached table shows the numbers of DLA to PIP Reassessments cleared in 2016/17 (April 6th to October 31st 2016 - the last date for which data is available). Data is published annually with the next update due in December 2017 and this will include data to October 31st 2017. For each individual who has a PIP reassessment outcome their PIP entitlement has been compared to their DLA entitlement at the time of their PIP reassessment registration. 'Award Increased' means the Department have made a decision to award PIP and the total monetary value of the PIP award (Daily Living plus Mobility component) is higher than the total monetary value of the DLA award (Care component plus Mobility component). 'Award Unchanged' means the Department have made a decision to award PIP and the total monetary value of the PIP award (Daily Living plus Mobility component) is the same as the total monetary value of the DLA award (Care component plus Mobility component). 'Award Decreased' means the Department have made a decision to award PIP and the total monetary value of the PIP award (Daily Living plus Mobility component) is less than the total monetary value of the DLA award (Care component plus Mobility component). 'Disallowed post-referral to the assessment providers (AP)' includes claims that have been disallowed following the assessment due to the claimant not scoring enough points at the assessment to be awarded the benefit, or the claimant failing to attend the assessment without good reason. 'Disallowed pre-referral to the assessment providers (AP)' includes claims that have been disallowed due to failure of basic eligibility criteria or non-return of the Part 2 form within the time limit and have not been marked as requiring additional support. 'Withdrawn' includes all claims that have been withdrawn by the claimant prior to a decision being made. This can take place at any point in the claimant journey following registration of a claim.  



Number of PIP to DLA Reassessments in 2016/17
(Word Document, 96.3 KB)

Personal Independence Payment: Appeals

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the oral Answer of 9 October 2017, Official Report, column 12, what proportion of personal independence payment assessments were overturned at mandatory reconsideration or tribunal appeals in the latest period for which figures are available.

Penny Mordaunt: In the latest 12 months of available figures 5% of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) decisions were overturned at mandatory reconsideration (MR), and 5% of PIP decisions were overturned at tribunal appeals. These proportions are calculated from the latest available data on PIP clearances which can be found at https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk, the latest available data on MRs which can be found in table 7B at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/643744/tables-pip-statistics-to-july-2017.ods, and the latest available data on PIP appeals which can be found in table SCSS3 at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/644444/tribunal-and-GRC-main-tables-1718q1.xlsx.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Angling

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the value of recreational bass fishing in England to the economy in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimates he has made of the costs to the recreational bass fishery of recent conservation measures affecting sea anglers.

George Eustice: Defra has not conducted any specific surveys of the economic value of the recreational bass fishery over the last ten years. The Defra ‘Sea Angling 2012’ research project found that, in 2012, sea anglers resident in England spent £1.23 billion on the sport. It is not possible robustly to separate out figures specifically for recreational bass fishing.Bass conservation measures have been introduced by the EU in response to advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea on the very poor state of the stock. Alongside a significant reduction in commercial landings, these measures are aimed at reducing mortality while the stock recovers, in order to secure the long term future of bass fisheries. The EU measures from 2015 onwards were also applied to the recreational sector as scientific advice in 2014 indicated on the basis of earlier angling surveys that up to 25% of total bass removals were estimated at that time to be accounted for by bass anglers.A specific cost estimate of the effects of the EU bass recovery measures on the recreational sector by limiting retention of catch by anglers has not been conducted. Arriving at a reliable assessment, particularly given that catch and release activity has not been restricted, would be challenging. There would need to be a wide range of factors covered in such an evaluation, including the reduced availability of bass while stocks are recovering, and the need to take into account the longer term costs of failing to apply sufficient bass recovery measures across all fishing sectors. This places the emphasis on ensuring recovery measures are in place that will restore the value of bass fisheries across all fishing sectors.

Food: Waste Disposal

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will undertake a cost-benefit analysis of the introduction of mandatory separate food waste collections in England, including the effect on (a) local government and (b) landfill tax receipts; and if he will make a statement.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Defra is undertaking a cost benefit analysis of the introduction of separate food waste collections that will assess the impact on local government and landfill tax.

Incinerators: Taxation

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with HM Treasury on the efficacy of an incinceration tax; and if he will make a statement.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Defra Ministers have had no recent discussions with HM Treasury regarding an incineration tax. Defra officials have regular meetings with HM Treasury on a wide range of waste policy issues. We are developing a renewed strategy on waste and resources that looks ahead at opportunities outside the EU and we will consider the current approach to waste management incentives. Fiscal measures are a matter for HM Treasury.

Flood Control

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the natural flood management funding schemes that have been implemented; and whether he plans to increase the budget for such schemes.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Defra funded demonstration pilots at Holnicote (Somerset), Pickering (North Yorkshire) and Upper Derwent (Derbyshire) that ran between 2009-2015, showed that natural flood management approaches can have a positive effect in catchments up to 100km2, through a measurable decrease in peak flood flow and height downstream. The pilots also showed that these approaches could be most effective when carefully incorporated alongside more traditional measures in catchments. This autumn, the Environment Agency (EA) is planning to publish an overview of the current evidence for natural flood management approaches in the form of a directory and a series of 65 case studies. To build on this emerging evidence, this year, we have allocated £15 million to 58 natural flood management specific projects across England, which will help support communities that are at risk of flooding. The EA is managing the programme, and will monitor their impact. In addition, Defra Grant-in-Aid for Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Capital projects are available for any project that meets the objectives of reducing flooding or erosion risk, based on the economic benefits and damages avoided. Payment rates are based on outcomes not methods used, an approach designed to avoid discriminating against any particular approach to reducing risk.

Environment Agency: Inland Waterways

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the Environment Agency's capacity to maintain those navigable waterways for which it is responsible.

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will provide an update on proposals to transfer waterways run by the Environment Agency to the Canal and River Trust.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: As a navigation authority, the Environment Agency (EA) is responsible for over 621 miles of inland waterways. It has been reviewing the future costs required to run and maintain these waterways and, along with the Canal and River Trust (C&RT), has been working to develop proposals for a possible transfer of its navigation responsibilities and assets to the C&RT. I met the Chairman and Chief Executive of the C&RT recently for initial discussions on proposals for a transfer. We will now look to hold further discussions with both the EA and the C&RT on possible next steps.

Supermarkets: Waste

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to encourage supermarkets to publish food waste data and audited annual breakdowns of food waste.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: We do not currently have plans to require food businesses to publicly report food waste as reporting is already taking place under Courtauld 2025. The current approach to reporting under Courtauld 2025 is that aggregate figures are produced, maintaining the confidentiality of signatories. However, we note that retailers such as Sainsbury’s and Tesco have chosen to publish their food waste data.

Agriculture and Fisheries: Legislation

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to bring forward the (a) agriculture and (b) fisheries bills which were announced in the 2017 Queen's Speech; and if he will make a statement.

George Eustice: The Government set out an ambitious legislative programme in the Queen's speech in June. The timescales for forthcoming bills, including those on fisheries and agriculture, will be announced in the usual manner in due course.

Environment

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when his Department plans to publish its 25 year environment plan; and if he will make a statement.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government remains committed to publishing a 25 year environment plan in due course.

Marine Conservation Zones

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has plans to launch a consultation on tranche three of the marine conservation zone.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: We aim to consult on the third tranche of Marine Conservation Zones in English waters in the first half of 2018, with designations within 12 months of that date.

Forests: EU Law

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to maintain Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade certification and market access to after UK leaves the EU.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill will ensure the whole body of existing EU environmental law continues to have effect in UK law, including the FLEGT regulation.

Home Office

Immigrants: Detainees

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many non-UK EU nationals have received compensation for unlawful detention under Immigration Act powers in each of the last five years.

Brandon Lewis: This information is not available and to collate it would incur disproportionate cost.

Overseas Students

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many international students entered the UK with (a) a child and (b) an adult dependent in each of the last five years.

Brandon Lewis: Information on the number of non-EEA national students and their dependants entering the UK, is published as part of the Home Office’s quarterly Immigration Statistics, Admissions table ad_03_s, latest edition available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-april-to-june-2017/list-of-tables#admissions Statistics on visitors, short term migrants, or long term migrants entering the UK, including international students (UK, EU and non-EU nationals) and their dependants, is a matter for the independent Office for National Statistics which publishes data on international migration at https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/internationalmigration

National Security: Human Rights

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that security measures undertaken by other governments outside the UK and funded from the public purse operate in conformity with child protection and human rights principles.

Brandon Lewis: The Government takes child protection and human rights very seriously and encourages the governments of all countries to comply with them. Where the UK government is helping fund activity by a foreign government we keep it under regular review. However, security or any other measures undertaken by other sovereign states and their compliance with child protection and human rights remain the responsibility of the government of that country.

Police: Finance

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unsuccessful bids were made for the Police Transformation Fund; and what the amount was of each unsuccessful bid to that fund.

Mr Nick Hurd: There have been 81 successful bids to the Police Transformation Fund. Details of the awards have been published at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/police-transformation-fund-successful-bids-2017-to-2018

Immigration: EU Nationals

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what administrative errors occurred that led to letters being sent to EU nationals incorrectly notifying them that they would be deported.

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many EU nationals living in the UK were incorrectly sent notifications after 26 June 2017 that they would be deported; what estimate her Department has made of the cost to the public purse of reimbursing costs incurred by those people in response to such letters; and whether there is an upper limit for compensation claims for people affected by those notifications.

Brandon Lewis: 106 letters were sent in error between 11 and 16 August 2017. I wrote, personally, to all those affected to apologise. The error made was an incorrect interpretation of the consequences of an EEA national’s unsuccessful application for a Registration Certificate We have agreed to meet any reasonable associated costs incurred as a result of this error. We should be able to quantify the total cost in due course.

Home Office: Chief Scientific Advisers

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many meetings (a) she and (b) Ministers of her Department have had with the Chief Scientific Adviser in her Department in the last three months.

Mr Ben  Wallace: Home Office Ministers and The Home Secretary met with the previous Chief Scientific Advisor 7 times in the last twelve months.However, the new Chief Scientific Adviser Prof John Aston took up post on 4th September and will be meeting with Ministers shortly.

Travellers: Caravan Sites

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the powers available to take action against illegal encampments; and if she will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: I refer the hon. member to the answer I gave on 20 July 2017, UIN 5075.

Immigration

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average gross and net income received by her Department is from migration applications for each category of migration application over the last three years.

Brandon Lewis: Your question relates to Home Office income categories which are published in the “Visa fees transparency data”: 2016-17https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/606616/Unit_cost_table_2017.pdf 2015-16https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/503759/2016_Unit_Costs_Table.pdf  2014-15https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/401236/indicative-visa-charges-for-2015-to-2016.pdf

Visas

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications to UK Visas and Immigration, under the premium service, there are which (a) exceeded the advertised timescale for a same day or priority decision and (b) remain pending a decision, since January 2017.

Brandon Lewis: UKVI transparency data provides details of how the Premium Service Centres perform against that service standard.A link to the most recent available data is provided here;https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/in-country-migration-data-august-2017The table InC07 is the closest match to the information requested.

Special Constables: Leave

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of the lack of paid leave on the take-up of the Employer Supported Policing scheme.

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will take steps to introduce paid leave for special constables to access training through the Employer Supported Policing scheme.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Home Office endorses the Employer Supported Policing (ESP) scheme and has been clear that by supporting staff to volunteer in policing, employers can help keep their communities safe and at the same time help their employees learn valuable skills. It is for individual employers to consider whether they are able to offer paid leave for employees to access special constable training and undertake special constable duties. The Home Office allows up to ten days a year of paid special leave for Home Office employees to carry out special constable duties or training.

Fire and Rescue Services: Standards

Jenny Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on how many occasions fire service response times have been extended as a result of new build housing developments not being included in GPS navigation systems in each of the last three years.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Incident Recording System captures reasons for delay in commencing fire fighting actions, fire and rescue services are not asked about failure to locate an incident as a result of non-updated GPS navigation systems. It is the responsibility of each fire and rescue authority through its Integrated Risk Management Plan to allocate its resources appropriately to manage its operational response.

Grenfell Tower: Fires

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 3 August 2017 to Question 2332, how many people directly affected by the Grenfell Tower fire have been granted 12 months limited leave to remain.

Brandon Lewis: The policy was extended on 31 August for a further three months to give survivors additional time to come forward to receive support for the exceptionally traumatic events that they have experienced and to provide essential first-hand accounts regarding the fire.This is a targeted immigration policy that we expect to benefit a limited number of people. The scheme has only been operating since 5 July and the extension to 30 November will provide a further opportunity for people to come forward. We have plans to publish statistics in due course.

Compulsorily Detained Mental Patients

Dr  Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times Section 135 of the Mental Health Act 1983 has been used (a) in total, (b) by region and (c) by ethnic group in each year since 2005.

Dr  Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times Section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983 has been used (a) in total, (b) by region and (c) by ethnic group in each year since 2005.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Home Office has collected and published information on the number of persons detained under section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983, including information on the ethnicity of those being detained, since April 2015. Data for 2015/16 were requested on a voluntary basis only. Information was provided by 15 forces, and data on section 136 detentions were published as ‘experimental statistics’ in Annex B of the ‘Police powers, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, in October 2016: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-powers-and-procedures-england-and-wales-year-ending-31-march-2016 The data covering the 2016/17 time period is due to be published in the next edition of the ‘Police powers and procedures, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, which is scheduled for release on Thursday 26th October, and will be available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-powers-and-procedures-england-and-wales Information on the number of detentions under section 135 of the Mental Health Act 1983 will be published as ‘experimental statistics’ in Annex A of the next edition of the ‘Police powers and procedures, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin. Prior to data being collected by the Home Office, the National Police Chiefs’ Council collected information on the number of detentions under section 136 of the Mental Health Act. Data covering the 2015/16 time period, broken down by police force area, are available here: http://www.npcc.police.uk/documents/S136%20Data%202015%2016.pdf Previous year’s data can be found here: http://www.npcc.police.uk/documents/edhr/2015/Section%20136%20MHA%20201415%20Data.pdf

Compulsorily Detained Mental Patients

Dr  Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans the Government has to introduce new regulations under section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983 in relation to amendments to that Act brought in under the Policing and Crime Act 2017.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Government expects to lay the Regulations provided for in section 81 of the Policing and Crime Act 2017, shortly.

Visas

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of applicants for premium service visas wait more than one month to be allocated a caseworker.

Brandon Lewis: No applicants who apply via our Premium Service Centres wait more than one month for their application to be allocated to a caseworker. All applications are allocated and initially considered by a caseworker on the day of their appointment.

Refugees: Child Tax Credit

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Treasury and HM Revenue and Customs on fast track access to child tax credits for families who have been through the refugee family reunion process.

Brandon Lewis: The family reunion policy allows those granted asylum or humanitarian protection to apply for their partner and children under the age of 18 to join them in the UK, provided they formed part of the family unit before the person fled their country. Other family members may also be allowed under the policy if there are exceptional or compassionate factors.The immigration status of those granted protection and their family members brought to the UK under the policy allows them to study, take employment and apply for tax credits and other benefits.

Crime: Drugs

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many incidents of the practice known as cuckooing have been reported to the police in England in each of the last five years for which data is available.

Mr Nick Hurd: The information requested is not centrally held by the Home Office.

Personation

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to reduce identity theft across the UK.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Government is concerned about the harms caused by crimes enabled by the theft of an identity and is taking a number of steps to counter identity-based crimes:Action Fraud, the Government-supported fraud reporting centre, provides advice for individuals and businesses on steps they can take to protect themselves from identity crime;Action Fraud is also engaged in a number of public campaigns to raise awareness of the risk of identity theft across the public and private sectors to both individuals and businesses;The Government is using the Joint Fraud Taskforce to bring banks and law enforcement together to work collectively to protect the public and businesses from fraud;And the Government is also committed to extending the Verify platform so that people have one single, common and safe way of verifying themselves online to all parts of government by 2020 and making it more widely available, so that people can safely verify their identity to access non-government services such as banking.

Orgreave

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to commitment to the Chair of the Home Affairs Committee in her letter dated 28 November 2016, whether all of her Department's files relating to Orgreave have been released.

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has located the plan for the police operation at Orgreave on 18 June 1984.

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what grounds documents relating to Orgreave were redacted before release; and what the procedure was for approving such redactions.

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many documents relating to Orgreave are awaiting review prior to release; and when it is anticipated that the review will be completed.

Mr Nick Hurd: Following the announcement on 31 October 2016 of the Home Secretary’s decision not to establish an inquiry into the events at Orgreave, the Home Office reviewed all 33 files it held relating to the Miner’s Strike of 1984/85 and committed to transfer all of them to The National Archives (TNA). This commitment was fulfilled on 27 June 2017 with the transfer of 15 remaining files to TNA, following the 18 files that were transferred on 18 February 2017. The 1984 plan for police operations at Orgreave was not found in the Home Office papers as such matters are for the respective police force(s) involved and it is not common practice for these plans to be submitted to the Home Office or other Government departments.The transferred files were subject to a small number of limited redactions for personal data and other sensitivity reasons following established government record review processes, including oversight by the independent Advisory Council on National Records and Archives.

101 Calls

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential effect of charging for 101 calls on the number of people reporting crimes; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Nick Hurd: There is no obligation on telecom service providers to supply the 101 service free of charge as is the case with 999 under the 2003 Communications Act. Calls to 101 cost 15p from a mobile device or a landline, regardless of duration. Calls are free from payphones. The public have always paid to contact the police by telephone for non-emergencies and the 15p charge per call is a transparent rate. Police non-emergency numbers (such as 0845 numbers) which were used before 2011 could cost members of the public up to 40p per minute. While it may not be an option for everyone, the public can also report non-emergency crimes online via forces’ websites.

Refugees: EU Law

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government plans to remove the UK from the EU framework on refugee protection before a new policy is in place.

Brandon Lewis: The UK will remain a full participant in the Common European Asylum System, where we have opted in, until we leave the EU. We remain bound by the Refugee Convention and ECHR, and this will not change when we leave. We are committed to maintaining our cooperation with the EU on migration and asylum, and we are ready to discuss the exact nature of this cooperation as part of the wider negotiations on leaving the EU.

Counter-terrorism

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether allegations made under the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005 are held on a person's criminal record.

Mr Ben  Wallace: I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave on 11 October 2017 to UIN 105696.

HM Treasury

Customs Officers: Scotland

Kirstene Hair: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to base customs officials in Scotland after the UK has left the EU.

Mel Stride: The allocation of resources and staffing levels required by HMRC after the UK leaves the European Union will be dependent on the outcome of negotiations.

Landlords: Taxation

Mr Clive Betts: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which local authorities in England share the names and addresses of landlords with HM Revenue and Customs.

Mr Clive Betts: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement about the outcomes of HM Revenue and Customs' Let Property Campaign to date and the plans for the Let Property Campaign until 2020.

Mr Clive Betts: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the additional (a) tax revenue and (b) revenue derived from penalties that resulted from local authorities sharing data with HMRC.

Mel Stride: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) launched the Let Property Campaign in 2013, which focusses on the residential property letting market. It aims to help landlords to get their tax right from day one, keeping them on track and offering an opportunity to address previous errors. The campaign has been successful at both providing education material to prevent tax loss and enabling landlords to bring their affairs up to date.The Let Property Campaign has raised over £115m in additional tax, interest and penalties to December 2016. Of that total, £9.6m represents penalties paid by landlords.HMRC plan to continue the Let Property Campaign for the foreseeable future as it continues to help ensure customers understand their obligation and to target those that choose not to meet them.HMRC does not hold information in a form that allows them to provide the estimate requested. However, data sources used in the Let Property Campaign include information annually requested from local authorities: a register of all licenses issued for Homes with Multiple Occupancy, and local authority returns of Housing Benefit paid directly to Landlords during the last financial year.

Tax Evasion

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress his Department has made in its inquiry into the Panama Papers.

Mel Stride: Since the last update to Parliament in November 2016, HMRC has tripled the number of criminal and civil investigations linked to the Panama papers. To date, the work of the Panama Papers Taskforce has led to civil and criminal investigations into 66 individuals for suspected tax evasion, including high net worth individuals. As part of this HMRC has made four arrests; and carried out six interviews under caution. Taskforce partners have made three arrests in relation to an organised crime group suspected of a £125m conspiracy to defraud pension investors, tax evasion and associated money laundering. They have also identified leads relevant to a major insider trading operation, in relation to which a number of individuals have been arrested and are on bail pending further activity. UK law enforcement continues to interrogate and exploit Panama Papers related data, identifying previously unknown individuals, companies and properties, making links between them and providing intelligence and investigative opportunities. The systems used to launder money and evade tax through offshore structures are complex and highly sophisticated. The Joint Financial Analysis Centre and HMRC’s expert analysts are using leading-edge technology to unpick these structures and trace them back to individuals. This work is painstaking and forensic and there are no easy shortcuts. HMRC is not a prosecuting authority. Its focus is on building the strongest possible cases in order to secure convictions, and it expects to refer cases to the prosecuting authorities from autumn 2017 onwards.

EP Committee of Inquiry into Money Laundering, Tax Avoidance and Tax Evasion

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, on what dates he has met the EU PANA Committee; what was the duration of each of those meetings; and what topics were discussed at each.

Mel Stride: The EU PANA Committee’s mission to the UK took place on 9 and 10 February 2017 and representatives from the UK government were invited to update the Committee on the UK’s progress in tackling money laundering, tax evasion and tax avoidance. As the proceedings were primarily concerned with the UK’s operational response, witnesses from the government’s Panama Papers Taskforce, including HMRC, the Financial Conduct Authority and the National Crime Agency, gave evidence during the allotted 90-minute evidence session. HM Treasury Ministers were not present.

Stocks and Shares: Channel Islands

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will bring forward legislative proposals (a) to amend section 841 of the UK Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988 to withdraw recognition of the securities issued at the Channel Islands Stock Exchange and (b) under which UK companies would be required to withhold 20 per cent from the payment of interest to all Jersey-based companies and remit that sum to HM Revenue and Customs.

Mel Stride: The quoted Eurobond exemption is a longstanding exemption which enables UK companies to access investment capital from foreign markets and reduces frictions in financial markets. In response to concerns about the use of interest payments to shift taxable profits overseas, the Government has recently introduced a restriction on the deductibility of corporate interest expense. The rules ensure that companies cannot use excess deductions for interest expense to reduce their taxable profits and erode the UK tax base. This is forecast to raise approx. £1bn per annum.

British Home Stores: Tax Avoidance

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will commission an independent inquiry into tax avoidance schemes used by BHS.

Mel Stride: The Government is committed to tackling tax avoidance and evasion at all levels to ensure everyone, no matter who they are, pays the right amount of tax at the right time. Last year, HMRC brought in a record additional £29 billion by cracking down on avoidance, evasion and non-compliance. The Government is legislating for over ten measures in the current Finance Bill to further crackdown on those who try to avoid or evade paying the tax that is owed. This includes a penalty for those who enable the use of tax avoidance schemes that are later defeated by HMRC – which builds on the action which has already been taken in tackling marketed avoidance.

Help to Buy Scheme

Rachel Reeves: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much has been spent from the public purse on Help to Buy in each region of England; and how many beneficiaries in each income group there have been from the spend in each such region.

Stephen Barclay: The Treasury and the Department for Communities and Local Government routinely publish information on the take-up and the total value of support provided through the Help to Buy schemes. This information is readily available in the public domain. The following links provide the latest information on the government spend in each region and income group. Home Equity Loan:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/647605/20170928_HTB_EL_and_HTB_NewBuy_statistical_release.pdf Mortgage Guarantee Scheme:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/648018/H2B_MGS_Official_Statistics_Publication_-_September_17.pdf

Charities: Government Assistance

Mr Peter Bone: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent steps he has taken to support small local charities.

Andrew Jones: The Government recognises the vitally important work the charity sector does in the UK, which is why we currently provide tax relief to charities and donors worth over £5 billion per year, including over £1.2 billion for Gift Aid alone. The Government is also committed to supporting small charities to become more independent, resilient and sustainable. Recent work includes the announcement of a further three years of the Small Charities Fundraising Training Programme and work to explore the role of small charities in public services. On the 15th December the country will celebrate the second Local Charities Day highlighting the fantastic work of small, local charities. Smaller charities will also benefit from recent changes to the Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme (GASDS) that allows eligible charities and community amateur sports clubs to claim top-up payments on small donations made by cash or contactless technology of £20 or less. The rules were simplified and the maximum annual donation GASDS limit was increased to £8,000, allowing charities to now claim up to £2,000 per year in payments.

Free Schools: Finance

Clive Efford: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many sites approved for purchase for free schools by the Education Skills Funding Agency have been refused funding by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Elizabeth Truss: HM Treasury reviews a number of business cases relating to free school site acquisitions. A record of instances where we have not been able to approve part or all of a business case could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Alcoholic Drinks: Minimum Prices

Fiona Bruce: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with Ministers of the Welsh Government on the fiscal implications of that Government's plans to introduce minimum unit pricing for alcohol products.

Andrew Jones: The introduction of Minimum Unit Pricing in England and Wales remains under review. The Government awaits the outcome of the Scotch Whisky Association's decision to appeal the decision of the Scottish Courts and the impact of the implementation of this policy in Scotland.

Capital Allowances

Stephen Timms: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the scope of investment allowances to include encouragement for investment in software, services and skills as well as conventional capital procurements.

Mel Stride: The government is committed to supporting businesses in the UK to invest and improve productivity. The government has introduced the Apprenticeship Levy and are committed to delivering 3 million apprenticeship starts in England by 2020. We have also announced the most ambitious post-16 reforms since the introduction of A levels 70 years ago. The government wants the UK to be the best place to start and grow a digital business. As part of this we have announced £13 million worth of funding to create a private sector-led Productivity Council. Revenue expenditure on provision of skills, services and software is normally fully tax deductible in the year it is purchased, receiving relief more quickly than expenditure eligible for capital allowances. The government keeps all tax reliefs under review and any proposal for future changes to a relief must be assessed for its effectiveness, wider economic impact, ability to stand-up against abuse and the cost to the exchequer.

Financial Services: Gibraltar

Stephen Timms: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his policy is on whether financial services providers located in Gibraltar should have barrier-free access to the UK market after the UK leaves the EU.

Stephen Barclay: It is the intention of the UK Government to preserve financial services market access for Gibraltar into the UK. This will require mutual confidence in regulatory and supervisory structures, and will reflect the level of cooperation in this area. The Chief Minister of Gibraltar has confirmed that Gibraltar will meet UK standards of regulation, supervision and enforcement consistent with global standards which will allow its important financial sector to maintain its access to the UK. The UK Government and the Government of Gibraltar are in ongoing discussions on how to achieve this, looking first at insurance where cross-border trade is most significant.

Liquefied Petroleum Gas: Climate Change Levy

Alex Cunningham: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the likelihood that off-gas grid businesses will switch to higher carbon fuels when the climate change levy on liquid petroleum gas increases up to (a) 2019 and (b) 2025.

Andrew Jones: The government announced at Budget 2016, that Climate Change Levy rates for gas and electricity would be rebalanced to a 1:1 ratio by 2025, to reflect recent data on the fuel mix used in electricity generation. The Treasury have had constructive dialogue with liquid petroleum gas suppliers on the impacts of the policy changes on the off-gas grid market.

Nurses: Pay

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to provide additional ring-fenced funding from the public purse for pay rises over one per cent for nurses.

Elizabeth Truss: As announced in September, for 2018/19, we will no longer have an across-the-board policy of 1% average basic pay awards. Before we make final decisions on pay awards, we will seek the views of the independent Pay Review Bodies including the NHSPRB which sets the pay award for nurses and other Agenda for Change staff. The Pay Review Bodies will consider evidence on how we ensure we attract and retain the very best people within our public services.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Consumers

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many times he has (a) invited and (b) met with consumer groups to discuss negotiations on the UK leaving the EU and their implications for consumers in the UK.

Mr Steve Baker: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 11 September 2017.The correct answer should have been:

As part of our commitment to hear from every sector and region in the UK, Ministers and officials in the Department for Exiting the European Union (DExEU) and across government, have spoken to a range of civil society organisations, including consumer groups. Ministers and officials from DExEU and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy have met organisations including Which?, Money Saving Expert, the British Retail Consortium and Citizens Advice, and as part of our programme of cross-Whitehall engagement, we have plans to host a roundtable with consumer groups. We will draw on their expertise, understand their perspectives and work with them to test and validate positions as we prepare to leave the European Union.

Mr Steve Baker: As part of our commitment to hear from every sector and region in the UK, Ministers and officials in the Department for Exiting the European Union (DExEU) and across government, have spoken to a range of civil society organisations, including consumer groups. Ministers and officials from DExEU and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy have met organisations including Which?, Money Saving Expert, the British Retail Consortium and Citizens Advice, and as part of our programme of cross-Whitehall engagement, we have plans to host a roundtable with consumer groups. We will draw on their expertise, understand their perspectives and work with them to test and validate positions as we prepare to leave the European Union.

Common Travel Area

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to his oral contribution of 7 September 2017, Official Report, column 302, what the evidential basis is for the statement that the EU Commission no longer believe that continuing with the Common Travel Area after the UK leaves the EU would impinge on EU citizens' rights.

Mr Robin Walker: As set out in our position paper on Northern Ireland and Ireland, the UK Government, Irish Government, and European Union all agree on maintaining the Common Travel Area. In our position paper, the UK provided clear assurance that the CTA can continue to operate in its current form and can do so without compromising in any way Ireland’s ability to honour its obligations as an EU Member State, including in relation to free movement for EEA nationals in Ireland. If the EU wishes, the UK would be content for such an assurance to be reflected in the Withdrawal Agreement. Michel Barnier has confirmed the EU’s commitment towards maintaining the Common Travel Area, and the UK and EU have started drafting common principles.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Temporary Employment

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Answer of 12 September 2017 to Question 7952, on Department for Exiting the European Union: temporary employment, how many and what proportion of requests for consultancy and temporary staff were accompanied by a formal business case.

Mr Steve Baker: The Department has an approvals hierarchy that ensures that all proposals for expenditure on consultancy or temporary staff are reviewed and approved by Senior Civil Servants. This ensures that there is a fully documented business justification for investment decisions which, where appropriate, results in a full business case.

Economic Situation

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Answer of 13 September 2017 to Question 8561, what the evidential basis is for his statement that Parliament has agreed that the Government need not publish anything that would undermine its ability to negotiate the best deal for the UK.

Mr Steve Baker: On 12 October 2016 the House of Commons agreed to an amended Opposition motion which stated that the parliamentary scrutiny process should be undertaken in such a way that does not undermine the negotiating position of the Government as negotiations are entered into.On 7 December 2016 the House of Commons also voted in favour of an amended Opposition motion which stated that there should be no disclosure of material that could be reasonably judged to damage the UK in any negotiations to withdraw from the European Union after Article 50 has been triggered.

Research

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to the Government's policy paper, Collaboration on Science and Innovation: A Future Partnership Paper, published on 6 September 2017, what role he plans for the devolved administrations to have in negotiations on UK collaboration with EU research programmes after the UK has left the EU.

Mr Robin Walker: The Government will work closely with the devolved administrations, as well as the governments of Gibraltar, the other Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies on the detail of proposals for collaboration with the EU on science and innovation, to ensure their priorities are taken into account.

Research

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to the Government's policy paper, Collaboration on Science and Innovation: A Future Partnership Paper, published on 6 September 2017, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on continued participation in EU and Euratom research programmes.

Mr Robin Walker: The Secretary of State for Exiting the EU has frequent discussions with Cabinet colleagues on issues relating to UK exit and the future partnership between the UK and the EU, including collaboration with the EU on science and innovation.Cabinet discussions are private. However, as stated in the Government’s paper, the UK will seek an ambitious science and innovation agreement with the EU that ensures the valuable research links between us continue to grow.

Civil Servants: Secondment

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Answer of 13 September 2017 to Question 8511, on civil service: secondments, which other departments sent staff to Brussels in any round of negotiations with the EU.

Mr Robin Walker: The total number of staff will vary from round to round as we deploy the negotiating team best able to work on the issues under negotiation. To do this best we are drawing together expertise from a wide range of departments where there is specific relevant knowledge on the issues to be negotiated.Over the last five rounds of negotiations the following Government Departments have had members of staff attend the negotiations in Brussels:Department for Business, Energy and Industry Strategy,Competition and Markets Authority,Department for Food and Rural Affairs,Department of Health,Department for Work and Pensions,Foreign and Commonwealth Office,Government Legal Service,HM Treasury,HM Revenue and Customs,Home Office,Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency,Ministry of Justice,Northern Ireland Office,Department for Exiting the European Union.

Consumers

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2017 to Question 8695, on consumers, which consumer groups have been invited to the planned roundtable event; when the event is due to be held; and on which dates representatives of his Department met (a) Which?, (b) Money Saving Expert, (c) the British Retail Consortium and (d) Citizens Advice.

Mr Steve Baker: Ministers and officials from the Department for Exiting the EU and the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) have engaged with a range of civil society organisations, including consumer groups, to understand their views and to ensure that their expertise continues to contribute to ongoing negotiations. This includes engagement through the Consumer Protection Partnership (CPP), an operational and strategic group, chaired by BEIS.We will continue to speak to consumer groups as we move through the negotiation process to understand the impact on consumers of the UK's exit from the EU, and to have a complete picture of consumers’ concerns.My Hon Friend the Minister for Small Business, Consumers and Corporate Responsibility has recently invited consumer groups to a roundtable to hear their views on key EU Exit issues. A Minister from the Department for Exiting the European Union will also attend. Details of ministerial meetings are published in the Department’s Quarterly Transparency Returns, which are made publicly available on GOV.UK.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many times he has visited (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland since his appointment as Secretary of State.

Mr Robin Walker: The Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union visited Northern Ireland in September 2016 meeting with the then Northern Ireland Executive and stakeholders including NI Screen and SONI (System Operator for Northern Ireland). He also visited Dublin last September for his first overseas visit following his appointment as Secretary of State. He has not visited the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, however I have visited Northern Ireland twice since joining the Department as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and accompanied the Secretary of State on his Dublin visit. During my most recent trip in September 2017 I visited the border and met with Re-Gen waste, a cross-border waste management company and InterTradeIreland, which offers practical support to cross-border businesses.

UK Membership of EU: Disclosure of Information

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to the position paper, Confidentiality and Access to Documents, published on 21 August 2017, what representations the Government has received from civil society on the handling by the EU of information produced while the UK was an EU member state after the UK leaves the EU.

Mr Robin Walker: As this paper primarily deals with official (Government) information and documents, the Government has not received any civil society representations on this matter.

Data Protection

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to the policy paper, The exchange and protection of personal data: a future partnership paper, published on 24 August 2017, whether he plans to use negotiations with the EU to retain the UK's ability to shape the future direction of EU data protection law.

Mr Robin Walker: As set out in “The exchange and protection of personal data: a future partnership paper”, the UK wants to explore a UK-EU model for exchanging and protecting personal data which could build on the existing adequacy model and enable the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) to be fully involved in future EU regulatory dialogue. The UK will remain a global leader on data protection and continue to work closely with the EU to drive the improvement of global data protection standards.

Business Council for Brexit

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what the membership is of the new Business Council for Brexit.

Mr Steve Baker: The Business Advisory Council is an important part of our preparations for leaving the EU - allowing us to seek the views of experienced business leaders and to share with them the Government’s vision for a successful Brexit.The Council has a rotating membership. Attendees at October’s Council were:Balfour BeattyWPPHSBCGSKMorgan StanleyBridgewaterJCBVodafoneEYAston MartinWhitbreadNestleABF

Department for International Trade

Exports: Saudi Arabia

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if the Government will review its policy on granting export licences to Saudi Arabia, taking into account recent evidence on the incidence of human rights abuses in Yemen.

Mark Garnier: All export licences are issued in strict accordance with the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. The framework was announced to parliament by the former Secretary of State at the former Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Rt. Hon Member for Twickenham, Sir Vince Cable, as a Written Ministerial Statement on 25 March 2014.

Arms Trade: Exports

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what information his Department receives on the end use of UK arms exports.

Mark Garnier: Licence applicants are required to provide full details of the proposed end-use of the items to be exported. These are then assessed as part of the licence application process, which is considered against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Criteria. Post export, the Department receives information from a variety of sources, either directly or via other Government Departments, including from Non-Government Organisations and through diplomatic reporting.

Hospitals: India

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what estimate he has made of the revenue accrued to the public purse of UK hospitals operating branches in India for each of the last five years.

Mark Garnier: No such estimate has been made. While a number of UK hospitals work in partnership with a range of healthcare organisations in India, we are not aware of any UK hospitals operating any branches there in the past five years.

Arms Trade: Trade Fairs

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether the Government is taking steps to monitor the (a) sale and (b) promotion by companies at the Defence and Security Equipment International of (i) electric stun guns, baton type, (ii) electric stun guns, hand type, (iii) leg irons and (iv) thumb cuffs to countries to which (A) the UK and (B) international obligations prohibit the sale of (1) such and (2) military equipment.

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if he will take steps to monitor whether (a) C-RICH Co. Ltd and (b) other stall holders at the DSEI Arms Fair 2017 are (i) selling or (ii) promoting (A) electric stun guns baton type, (B) electric stun guns hand type, (C) leg irons and (D) thumb cuffs to countries which (1) the UK and (2) international obligations prohibit the sale of (aa) such equipment and (bb) military equipment; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Garnier: The Government worked closely with the exhibition organiser, Clarion Defence and Security Ltd, to ensure that all exhibitors at Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) were aware of their export control obligations. This includes which items they were prohibited from supplying or delivering – or agreeing to supply or deliver – or refraining from acts calculated to promote the supply or delivery of such items, including exhibiting and advertising. Government hosted a pre-event briefing with Clarion to ensure they were fully aware of their responsibilities. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), who are responsible for the enforcement of export and trade controls, also attended the briefing to provide clear compliance guidance and to review the procedures Clarion had put in place.The Export Control Joint Unit had a dedicated stand at DSEI which was manned by Ministry of Defence, Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for International Trade officials. HMRC were present during each day of the exhibition to ensure exhibitors complied with UK Trade Controls, as they were in 2015. C-RICH Co and other stall holders were visited by HMRC.

Department for International Trade: Chief Scientific Advisers

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what plans he has to appoint a Chief Scientific Adviser.

Greg Hands: The Department for International Trade has recently concluded a recruitment campaign to appoint a Chief Scientific Adviser. The appointment will be announced in due course.

Arms Trade: Export Controls

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress has been made on identifying what continued co-operation with the EU on matters of arms and strategic export controls will remain as the UK leaves the EU ; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Garnier: The scope of future cooperation between the UK and EU on strategic export controls after the UK leaves the EU will be subject to negotiation as part of agreeing the future relationship between the UK and EU.

Foreign Investment in UK: Wales

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 14 September 2017 to Question 9573, what the 10 biggest foreign inward investments from EU countries into Wales has been in each of the last 11 years.

Mark Garnier: The Department for International Trade is unable to release company specific information due to commercial sensitivities.

Arms Trade: Exports

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if he will list the value of UK arms exports to each country in the last three years.

Mark Garnier: The Government does not publish data detailing the value of defence exports broken down by individual country. However, export control licensing data broken down by country is published on gov.uk, and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/strategic-export-controls-licensing-data

Arms Trade

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many meetings he has had with representatives of UK arms manufacturers on the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU.

Mark Garnier: My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade has met a number of defence companies since his appointment. The meetings have covered a range of topics, including the UK’s Exit from the European Union.

Arms Trade: Licensing

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent assessment he has made of the robustness and transparency of the UK's arms export licensing system.

Mark Garnier: All export licences are issued in strict accordance with the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria.The UK publishes on GOV.UK every quarter, information relating to export licences granted, refused and revoked. The information includes a description of the goods, its classification, the end user country and the value as provided by the exporter.

Arms Trade

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure that the UK conducts its arms trade in a responsible manner.

Mark Garnier: The primary way that the Government ensures responsible trade in defence equipment is through our system of export controls. All export licences are assessed on a case by case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. The Consolidated Criteria provide a thorough risk assessment framework. A licence will not be issued if to do so would be inconsistent with the Consolidated Criteria.

Overseas Trade: Qatar

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Qatar on future trade and investment between the UK and Qatar.

Dr Liam Fox: I most recently visited Qatar on 5th October, where I met the Prime Minister and members of his cabinet to discuss Trade and Investment between the UK and Qatar. These discussions included follow-up to my meeting with the Finance Minister in June and also the Qatar-UK Business and Investment Forum in Birmingham earlier this year where Qatar pledged £5bn of investment into the UK over the next 5 years.

Exports

Matt Warman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent assessment he has made of trends in demand for UK exports.

Dr Liam Fox: All ministers have observed a strong interest in British goods and services overseas. This is supported by the EEF, who said:“Britain’s manufacturers are enjoying buoyant conditions on the back of export markets going from strength to strength.”Latest trade figures also show that in the year to August 2017, UK exports have increased 13.1% on the previous 12 months.

Overseas Trade and Foreign Investment in UK

Nigel Huddleston: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps he is taking to identify potential barriers to trade and investment after the UK leaves the EU.

Greg Hands: The Government is developing a range of options for identifying and tackling non-tariff market access barriers once we leave the EU. The Secretary of State and I host regular Ministerial Trade Dialogues with overseas markets, which provide an excellent forum for addressing non-tariff barriers to trade. The Government will continue to deploy its international network, and is also able to conduct trade reviews to identify and address trade and investment barriers.

UK Trade with EU

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment his Department has made of how World Trade Organisation rules would affect UK trade in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a trade deal.

Greg Hands: Currently all UK trade with members of the WTO is subject to WTO rules. This will not change when the UK leaves the EU.DIT will continue to contribute trade policy expertise to input into DExEU’s preparations and negotiations with the EU.We want the UK to have the greatest possible tariff and barrier-free trade with our European neighbours and also to be able to negotiate our own trade agreements around the world.

Meat Products: USA

Stephen Kerr: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what representations he has made to his US counterpart on lifting the US ban on haggis imports.

Mark Garnier: We are working with the US authorities to ensure the restrictions on British lamb are lifted as soon as possible. The US has a longstanding ban on the use of animal lungs as food, but the Scottish haggis industry is working on a US-specific recipe to allow the industry access to the US market at the earliest opportunity.

Bombardier: USA

Martin Whitfield: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions he has had with the EU Trade Commissioner on the Bombardier trade dispute.

Dr Liam Fox: I have raised the US anti-dumping and subsidies investigation into Bombardier personally with Trade Commissioner Malmström, just prior to the Department of Commerce’s preliminary determination of 26 September.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Government Departments: Disclosure of Information

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what the Government's policy is on the grounds on which government files are allowed to be exempt from the 30 year rule.

Matt Hancock: The Public Records Act (1958) requires central government departments, and certain other public bodies, to identify records of historical value and transfer them for permanent preservation to The National Archives, or to another appointed place of deposit. In 2013 the government began its move towards releasing records when they are 20 years old, instead of 30. We are currently in the middle of the transition from 20 to 30 years, with 2 years’ worth of government records being transferred each year until 2022. In accordance with Section 3(4) of The Public Records Act, departments may retain records if ‘they are required for administrative purposes or ought to be retained for any other special reason’. The Advisory Council on National Records and Archives is an independent body established by The Public Records Act that advises the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on issues related to transfer of public records that are over 20 years old. Departments apply to the Advisory Council giving their reasons to retain records using the commonly cited grounds for retention, set-out in guidance published by The National Archives (link below). The Advisory Council will then make a recommendation to the Secretary of State, who signals her approval by issuing a Retention Instrument which allows departments to legally retain their records for a specified period of time. Records transferred to The National Archives will be open at transfer, unless exempt under Freedom of Information legislation. Access to closed records is considered under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, Environmental Information Regulations and the Data Protection Act. Guidance: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/information-management/retention.pdf

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Brexit

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what preparations her Department is making for the possibility of negotiations on the UK leaving the EU resulting in no agreement.

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department has taken to prepare for the possibility that the UK might leave the EU without having agreed a deal with the EU.

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate her Department has made of the potential effect of the negotiations on the UK leaving the EU resulting in no deal on the number of jobs in the technology, culture and heritage sectors in the UK; what the evidential basis is for that estimate; and if she will make a statement.

Matt Hancock: The Government are responsibly preparing for a range of outcomes to ensure we have a smooth exit from the EU. The Government is engaging with businesses in every sector and region of the UK economy in order to understand the challenges and opportunities that may impact them in the coming months and years.

Football: World Cup

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential capacity of England to host the 2022 World Cup; and if she will make a statement.

Tracey Crouch: Qatar is FIFA's agreed host for the 2022 World Cup, and therefore no assessment has been made.

Gambling: Taxation

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what her policy is on the introduction of a compulsory levy on licensed gambling businesses to help treat problem gamblers.

Tracey Crouch: As I made clear at Departmental Oral Questions on 14 September, I am determined that the gambling industry acknowledges its social responsibilities, including properly funding the work undertaken by GambleAware, and other organisations, on research, education and treatment for gambling-related harm. The industry currently contributes over £8 million per year to GambleAware. GambleAware is seeking to increase this to £10 million per year in line with work that has been done by the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board (RGSB) to cost the short term work of delivering the National Responsible Gambling Strategy. The industry must step up and fulfill their obligations under these new targets.

House of Commons Commission

Parliament: Broadband

Tom Watson: To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, what the average broadband download speed is on the Parliamentary estate.

Tom Brake: The Parliamentary Estate provides users with a number of different broadband solutions with varying bandwidth based on usage and capacity requirements. These are listed below:Parliament’s main secure private network (PN) resilient internet connection = 2Gbps bandwidthThe secure ‘internet direct’ resilient wireless service = 400Mbps bandwidthBroadband over a phone line = 5–7Mbps bandwidthThe Digital Service takes action where possible to improve the broadband download speed across the Parliamentary Estate. However, due to the age and condition of the Palace of Westminster it is difficult to improve both the wiring that is available and to supplement the wireless connectivity.The average download speeds on these services will vary as it depends on a number of factors such as the capability of the user’s device, the connection type (wired/wireless), the size of download, the current bandwidth utilisation on any given day and the volume of users/devices connected, as these internet services and bandwidths are shared with all users across the Parliamentary estate. Due to these factors, the Digital Service does not hold data relating to the average download speed.

Department of Health

NHS: Civil Proceedings

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his estimate is of the cost to the NHS to date of defending legal action brought against it by Dr Chris Day.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Department is aware that Dr Chris Day has taken legal action against Health Education England (HEE) and Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust. HEE has advised the following: HEE holds some of the information requested. The total legal fees (since initial instructions in August 2014 to date) are below:Fees: £70,945Disbursements: £32,222 HEE does not hold the specific data relating to other expenses, such as staff time. Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust has advised the following: Legal costs incurred by the Trust to date have been £29,523.

St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals NHS Trust: Health Professions

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) doctors, (b) midwives and (c) nurses and health visitors were employed by St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals NHS Trust in each year between 2010 and 2017.

Mr Philip Dunne: NHS Digital publishes workforce statistics and the following table shows the number of full time equivalent Hospital and Community Health Service Doctors (HCHS), Midwives and Nurses and Health Visitors employed by St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals NHS Trust at 30 September 2010 to 2016. Data for May 2017 is also provided as this is the latest available. NHS HCHS: Doctors, Midwives and Nurses and health visitors in St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals NHS Trust as at 30 September each specified year and 31 May 2017 Full-time equivalent2010201120122013201420152016May - 2017HCHS Doctors807511543560553605576576Midwives108112118115123122120130Nurses and health visitors9739661,0141,1141,1261,1481,1891,258Source: NHS Digital, Provisional NHS HCHS monthly workforce statistics. Note: The HCHS Doctors figure for September 2010 includes a large number of Specialty Registrars. This relates to the time at which the Trust became the Lead Employer of Doctors and Dentists in Specialty Training (Trainees) for all trusts and general practitioner practices in the Mersey area. Initially a large number of trainees who should have been coded as working in other organisations and settings were reported at this Trust. In subsequent months the coding of these staff, using the Position Workplace Organisation Code in Electronic Staff Record, was improved to reflect where staff were working with numbers of Specialty Registrars at the Trust decreasing as a result.

Transvaginal Mesh Implants

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 13 September 2017 to Question 8527, on transvaginal mesh implants, whether he intends to discuss ongoing or long-term delays for women seeking to have vaginal meshes removed with the management of hospital trusts.

Mr Philip Dunne: NHS England is seeking to ensure that affected patients get access to the treatment they need more quickly. They are doing this through the identification of a number of hospital trusts who have self-declared as having the right multi-disciplinary teams and experience to provide advice and treatment or onward referral for women with mesh complications. The national specialised commissioning team will develop, consult on, and publish a service specification for the centres providing an experienced team for mesh removal. This will include advice on referral, multidisciplinary assessment to consider mesh removal, and surgery by expert teams. Furthermore, a learning resource for general practitioners (GPs) was commissioned by NHS England so women who see their GP with mesh complications receive the appropriate support and are quickly referred to a self-declared centre where necessary.

NHS Trusts: Finance

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the financial deficit has been in each NHS trust in each of the last five years.

Mr Philip Dunne: The overall surplus and deficit figures for National Health Service trusts are published in the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts. This information for the years requested is attached.



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Continuing Care: Medical Records

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his policy is on the retention of patient records for use by people who are claiming funds back as part of the NHS Continuing Healthcare scheme.

Jackie Doyle-Price: There is no separate policy on the retention of patient records in respect of NHS Continuing Healthcare or for people requesting an assessment for a NHS Continuing Healthcare ‘previously unassessed period of care’. The NHS England Corporate Records, Retention and Disposal Schedule is in line with the Government’s published ‘Records Management Code of Practice for Health and Social Care’ at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/records-management-code-of-practice-for-health-and-social-carewhich sets out the standards required for the management of records for organisations who work within, or under contract to the National Health Servcie in England.

Psychiatric Nurses: EU Nationals

Jenny Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many community psychiatric nurses working in the NHS in England are non-UK EU nationals.

Jackie Doyle-Price: NHS Digital publishes workforce statistics and the latest data at 30 June 2017 shows that there are 59 who report their nationality as non-United Kingdom, European Union, community psychiatric nurses working in the National Health Service in England.

Sugar

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 5 September 2017 to Question 6313, on sugar, whether the 5 per cent reduction target has been met.

Steve Brine: The assessment of achievement of the 5% reduction in the nine food categories contributing most to children’s sugar intake will be published by Public Health England (PHE) in March 2018. In this report, PHE will provide a detailed assessment of progress across the product categories included in the programme as well as by individual businesses and in high selling products. This commitment was set out in Childhood obesity: A plan for action, available to view here:www.gov.uk/government/publications/childhood-obesity-a-plan-for-action

Oral Tobacco: Standards

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to introduce product standards for chewed tobacco in order to reduce the health effect.

Steve Brine: There are no plans to introduce specific product standards for chewed tobacco.

In Vitro Fertilisation

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will continue to work with the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to develop guidance for clinical commissioning groups in the commissioning of fertility services.

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance he has offered to clinical commissioning groups on commissioning their own evidence reviews to inform fertility services commissioning practice; and what recent representations he has made to clinical commissioning groups on their following fully NICE guidelines on the commissioning of fertility services.

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to tackle the wide variation in prices charged by IVF service providers to clinical commissioning groups for a single cycle of IVF.

Mr Philip Dunne: The National Institute for Heath and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline on the assessment and treatment of people with fertility problems provides evidence based best practice guidance for clinicians. There is, therefore, no need for clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to undertake their own evidence reviews. It is the Government's policy that CCGs should have regard to the NICE guideline when commissioning fertility services for which they are responsible. The then Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Nicola Blackwood) wrote to the Medical Director of NHS England on 25 May 2017 asking that NHS England re-emphasise to all involved in commissioning fertility services that they should have regard to the NICE guideline as it currently stands. NHS England and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), together with professional and stakeholder groups, are working together to see how in vitro fertilisation commissioning could be improved. One element of this is the ongoing work to develop a benchmark price that the National Health Service pays for infertility treatments. Commissioning guidance, which aims to improve the quality of commissioning and further encourage the implementation of the NICE fertility guideline, is being produced and will be disseminated by NHS England to all CCGs in England. The Department will continue to support the programme of work being taken forward by NHS England, HFEA and stakeholders.

Health Visitors

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to increase the number of health visitors.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Since October 2015, local authorities have been responsible for the commissioning of services for zero to five year olds and as such, they determine the required numbers of health visitors based upon local needs.

Smoking

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of daily smoking levels in the UK each year for the next 15 years.

Steve Brine: The Department does not collect data on daily smoking levels, and has made no estimate of daily smoking rates on an annual basis going forward. The Tobacco Control Plan for England, published in July, set out the Government’s ambition to reduce adult smoking prevalence to 12% by 2022, and to achieve a smokefree generation (5% adult prevalence or less) in the longer-term.

Oral Tobacco

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will publish the scientific evidence upon which the Government based its ban on snus.

Steve Brine: Snus is classed as an oral tobacco product. Snus was banned in the United Kingdom under The Tobacco for Oral Use (Safety) Regulations 1992, which implemented EU Directive 92/41. This ban has been confirmed by subsequent regulations, most recently by EU Tobacco Products Directive 14/40, which has been transposed into UK law. The Commission has set out the evidence underpinning the ban. The impact assessment for the 2014 Directive can be found at:https://ec.europa.eu/health/sites/health/files/tobacco/docs/com_2012_788_ia_en.pdf

Mental Health Services: Closures

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average time taken to rehouse an adult male in-patient with complex needs has been following the closure of services in (a) Yorkshire and (b) the UK, in each of the last three years.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many in-patient beds there are for patients with complex needs in (a) West Yorkshire and (b) Yorkshire.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Data on the time taken to rehouse an adult male in-patient with complex needs following the closure of services is not held centrally. National guidance on high-quality hospital care for people with a learning disability or autism is clear that discharge planning should start from the point of admission, irrespective of the future plans for the hospital service in question. A hospital should never be a home and the aim should always be for the individual to receive the assessment or treatment they require and then move on. The length of time it will take to plan and secure a discharge will vary significantly depending on the individual’s specific needs. Data on the number of inpatient beds in the NHS England North Region for patients with complex needs is shown in the table below. NHS England North can only supply data for the beds they commission, broken down as follows: Hosted and contracted Adult Secure Mental Health Beds772Commissioned Adult Secure Mental Health Beds760Hosted and Contracted Adult Secure Learning Disability beds145Source: Contract data – NHS England (Specialised Commissioning – North) Within the 772 beds, there are 276 beds in West Yorkshire, 266 of which are commissioned by NHS England.

Gender Recognition: Clinics

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what funding the Government has provided to ensure that there are adequate specialist gender identity clinics for people undergoing treatment relating to their identity to be referred to by their GP.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what (a) funding and (b) training has been provided to GPs to ensure that they and their staff are adequately equipped to support people undergoing treatment relating to their gender identity.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what funding has been provided to GPs and technicians to support the prescribing and monitoring of hormone treatments for people undergoing gender transition.

Steve Brine: Gender identity services are specialised services that are directly commissioned by NHS England and it is for NHS England to determine the level of spend on these services each year from the overall budget allocated by the Government. Planned spend on gender identity services by NHS England in 2017/18 is £29.3 million (covering adult and paediatric services; surgical and non-surgical services). NHS England is also responsible for ensuring that there is adequate provision of specialist gender identity services for the population of England; NHS England plans to run a national procurement later in 2017/18 to identify the necessary level of provision, which organisations are best placed to deliver the services, and where those services should be located. General practitioners (GPs) provide services under contracts with NHS England. These arrangements provide core funding for the provision of all necessary services, including providing advice and the referral for other services, to all their registered patients. It is for GPs to determine any continuing professional development needs, in discussion with their appraiser, as part of their annual appraisal. GP practices are also responsible for ensuring that their staff are appropriately trained to carry out the duties for which they are engaged. The costs of prescribing and monitoring hormone treatments are met by the patient’s clinical commissioning group.

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of cognitive behavioural therapy and graded exercise therapy treatment administered by the NHS on the health and wellbeing of people suffering with (a) myalgic encephalomyelitis and (b) chronic fatigue syndrome.

Steve Brine: No assessment he has made of the effect of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and graded exercise therapy (GET) treatment offered by the National Health Service for patients with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME). The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline on CFS/ME, published in 2007 and rounitely reviewed thereafter, recommends treatments such as CBT and GET approaches be considered. On 20 September 2017, NICE announced its decision to undertake a full update of this guideline, following a review of the latest available evidence on the diagnosis and management of CFS/ME and a public consultation. More information on this decision can be found at the following link:www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg53/resources/surveillance-report-2017-chronic-fatigue-syndromemyalgic-encephalomyelitis-or-encephalopathy-diagnosis-and-management-2007-nice-guideline-cg53-pdf-5964455783941

In Vitro Fertilisation

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to reduce the number of clinical commissioning groups that have entirely decommissioned IVF services.

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to ensure that patients in England have equal access to comprehensive NHS IVF services.

Mr Philip Dunne: It is the Government's policy that all clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) should have regard to the National Institute for Heath and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline on the assessment and treatment of people with fertility problems when commissioning fertility services for which they are responsible. This includes the recommendation in the guideline that three cycles of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) be offered to qualifying couples where the woman is under the age of 40 and one cycle where the woman is between the ages of 40 and 42. The then Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Nicola Blackwood) wrote to the Medical Director of NHS England on 25 May 2017 asking that NHS England re-emphasise to all involved in commissioning fertility services that they should have regard to the NICE guideline as it currently stands. The availability of National Health Service funded fertility treatment is a matter for local determination. Decisions on the level of service provision are underpinned by clinical insight and knowledge of local healthcare needs and priorities. However, NHS England and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), together with professional and stakeholder groups, are working together to see how IVF commissioning could be improved. One element of this is the ongoing work to develop a benchmark price that the NHS pays for infertility treatments. Commissioning guidance, which aims to improve the quality of commissioning and further encourage the implementation of the NICE fertility guideline, is being produced and will be disseminated by NHS England to all CCGs in England. The Department will continue to support the programme of work being taken forward by NHS England, HFEA and stakeholders.

General Practitioners: Recruitment

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many general practice speciality training posts were (a) commissioned and (b) filled in (i) 2014-15, (ii) 2015-16 and (iii) 2016-17.

Steve Brine: Health Education England publish information on the number of general practice training places commissioned and filled. Information on the number of general practice training places commissioned and filled for the last three years can be found here: 2016:https://gprecruitment.hee.nhs.uk/Portals/8/Documents/Annual%20Reports/GP%20ST1%20Recruitment%20Figures%202016.pdf?ver=2016-10-20-125603-3672015:https://gprecruitment.hee.nhs.uk/Portals/8/Documents/Annual%20Reports/GP%20ST1%20Recruitment%20Figures%202015.pdf?ver=2015-12-18-140824-4702014:https://gprecruitment.hee.nhs.uk/Portals/8/Documents/Annual%20Reports/GP%20ST1%20Recruitment%20Figures%202014.pdf?ver=2015-12-18-140824-470

Hospitals: Domestic Visits

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which hospitals he has visited in an official capacity since 9 June 2017.

Mr Philip Dunne: My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State has visited the following hospitals since 9 June 2017. Royal Liverpool University HospitalRoyal Bournemouth HospitalPoole General HospitalDorset County HospitalSouthampton General HospitalQueen Alexandra Hospital, PortsmouthWeston General Hospital, Weston-Super-MareRoyal Devon and Exeter HospitalNorth Devon District HospitalTorbay HospitalRoyal Cornwall HospitalDerriford HospitalWigan InfirmarySouthport and Formby District General HospitalRoyal Preston HospitalBlackpool Victoria HospitalRoyal Lancaster InfirmaryCumberland InfirmaryMedway Maritime HospitalDarent Valley HospitalBasildon University HospitalSt Peter’s Hospital, ChertseyFrimley Park HospitalRoyal Surrey County HospitalRoyal Victoria Infirmary, NewcastleSouth Tyneside District HospitalSunderland Royal HospitalHopewood Park Hospital, SunderlandQueen Elizabeth Hospital, GatesheadHexham General Hospital

Prescription Drugs: Addictions

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will consider introducing a national 24-hour helpline to support people affected by prescribed drug dependence.

Steve Brine: The Government has no plans to introduce a national 24-hour helpline to support people affected by prescribed drug dependence. People who feel that they might be dependent on either prescribed or over the counter medicines should seek help from a health professional in the first instance (such as a general practitioner or pharmacist). Help and advice is also available from, for example, the 111 helpline or the on-line NHS Choices service.

Coeliac Disease

Melanie Onn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to improve delivery of primary care health services for people with coeliac disease; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Brine: To support primary care services in the diagnosis, treatment, care and support of people with coeliac disease, in September 2015, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published the best practice guideline Coeliac disease: recognition, assessment and management. The NICE guideline sets out seven recommendations to improve services for coeliac patients. These include implementation advice on the provision of laboratory testing and interpretation of results and access to healthcare professionals trained to give specialist dietetic advice in relation to coeliac disease. The guidance can be found at the following link:www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng20In October 2016, NICE published an accompanying Quality Standard (QS) that sets out the markers of high quality care for people with coeliac disease. The QS can be found at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qs134

Department of Health: Iron and Steel

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2017 to Question 9980, on iron and steel: procurement, what progress his Department has made on delivering greater UK steel content in line with the public procurement guidelines published by the Government in April 2016.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Department is required to comply with Procurement policy Note 11/16: Procuring Steel In Major Projects published on 12 December 2016, which offers guidance for major procurement projects where steel is a critical component. This is a guide for the public sector on how to design major projects involving steel to ensure best value for money by recognising relevant wider social and environmental benefits. The Department does not frequently procure capital assets or other contracts that require the direct procurement of steel. The Department has not directly entered into any major contracts since April 2016 where steel was a critical component. The Department does provide a framework agreement for design and construction services to the National Health Service called ProCure22. Steel was considered when this framework was procured and suppliers have committed to procure United Kingdom-produced steel when it represents best value for money. The Department does not hold centrally any data on the procurement of steel in the NHS or its arm’s length bodies.

Surrogate Motherhood

Anna McMorrin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to review legislation on surrogacy.

Anna McMorrin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health of 7 February 2017, Official Report, column 214, whether the Government plans to introduce (a) a remedial order or (b) an urgent remedial order to allow single parents to apply for parental orders.

Anna McMorrin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on surrogacy.

Anna McMorrin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department has a serious intention to pursue its request to the Law Commission to include a project on surrogacy in the 13th programme of law reform.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Government recognises the value of surrogacy as one of a number of options in helping people who can’t have children create a family. Drafting work on the remedial order is ongoing. We currently estimate it will be laid in the autumn session of Parliament. The Department supports the proposal by the Law Commission of England and Wales to include a project about surrogacy in its work programme for 2017-20.

European Food Safety Authority

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the cost to the public purse of replicating the relevant functions of the European Food Safety Authority after the UK leaves the EU.

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what preparations his Department has made to replicate the relevant functions of  the European Food Safety Authority after the UK leaves the EU.

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the number of staff required to replicate the relevant functions of the European Food Safety Authority after the UK leaves the EU.

Steve Brine: Departments are currently working together to understand the impacts that withdrawal from the European Union will have across a number of sectors and cross-cutting areas, including the European Food Safety Authority. The European Food Safety Authority provides independent scientific advice and risk assessments covering a wide range of policy areas. Options for the future of risk assessment and scientific advice in the United Kingdom are being developed by the Government including understanding any cost and staffing implications. Requirements will depend on the nature of the relationship the UK has with the European Food Safety Authority once the UK leaves the EU. It will be our priority to maintain the UK’s high standards of food and feed safety, and to ensure we take a risk-based, proportionate approach when providing risk assessments.

Nabiximols

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what medical evidence his Department has recently taken into account in its decision not to license nabiximols for use on the NHS.

Steve Brine: Nabiximols (Sativex) is licensed in the United Kingdom for the treatment of moderate to severe spasticity in multiple sclerosis. The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) did not recommended nabiximols in its 2014 clinical guidelines as it is not a cost-effective treatment. NICE develops authoritative, evidence-based guidance on best practice for the National Health Service. NICE operates with a high degree of independence from the Government and is responsible for the recommendations that it makes to the NHS. Its guidance is based on a thorough assessment of the available evidence and is developed through engagement with stakeholders. However, where there is an absence of final guidance recommendations from NICE, decisions on the funding of a licensed treatment on the NHS are taken by the relevant clinician and commissioner (such as NHS England or individual clinical commissioning groups) based on the individual needs of the patient.

Social Services: Disability

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his planned consultation on social care will include consultation on the needs of working-age disabled people; and if he will make a statement.

Jackie Doyle-Price: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 11 September 2017 to Question 8610. The Government understands that there are specific challenges in relation to funding and quality of care for people of working age, and their carers. We will continue to carefully consider how best to support people of working age with care and support needs, alongside older people.

Care Homes

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to reduce the price of self-funded care home beds.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Care Act 2014 placed a duty on local authorities in England to promote a diverse, sustainable, high quality market of care and support providers for people in their local area. Prices for care home places are agreed between individuals and their families who are self-funding their own care. Prices therefore vary across the country. Central Government has no say in these individual negotiations.

Abortion

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance his Department offers on what constitutes serious handicap for the purposes of the Abortion Act 1967.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Serious handicap is not defined in the Abortion Act 1967. An assessment of the seriousness of a fetal abnormality should be considered on a case-by-case appraisal and is a matter for the expert judgement of the two doctors involved in assessing the request for an abortion. In doing this the doctors will take into account all available clinical information.

Pregnancy

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the recent survey conducted by Pregnancy Sickness Support, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of treatment of symptoms of extreme morning sickness.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) ‘Green-top Guideline’ ‘The Management of Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy and Hyperemesis Gravidarum’ is intended to assist patients and clinicians in making decisions about individual patients’ treatment. The RCOG issues Green-top Guidelines on a range of conditions to aid clinical practice. As such, they do not require Government implementation to give them effect. The Department and its arm’s length bodies work closely with the RCOG to promote best clinical practice. As explained by the RCOG on their website, Green-top Guidelines provide systematically developed recommendations which assist clinicians and patients in making decisions about appropriate treatment for specific conditions. The recommendations are not intended to dictate an exclusive course of management or treatment. They must be evaluated with reference to individual patient needs, resources and limitations unique to the institution and variations in local populations.

Alcoholism

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department takes to ensure that the children of problem drinkers (a) have access to and (b) receive the support they need.

Steve Brine: Alcohol addiction has a devastating impact on individuals and their families and it is unacceptable that children bear the brunt of their parents’ condition. The Government is considering what further support it can provide to tackle alcohol harms, focusing on vulnerable groups including families and children.In the meantime, Public Health England is already undertaking a programme of work to address this issue. This includes improving the evidence base; enhancing data; ensuring local authorities are given high quality advice and support in relation to alcohol treatment services, and any safeguarding implications; and social marketing.The Government has also put in place a range of measures to help ensure children are provided with accurate information and the tools they need to make informed decisions about their relationship with alcohol. This includes the FRANK drug information and advice service; Family Nurse Partnerships to help parents within potentially vulnerable families to develop their parenting capacity; and tailored and co-ordinated support via the Troubled Families programme.

Urgent Care Centres: Northamptonshire

Mr Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress has been made on improving urgent care centres in North Northamptonshire.

Mr Philip Dunne: Nene and Corby Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) advise that they continue to work closely with partners and stakeholders to ensure that the urgent care services provided to the people of North Northamptonshire are responsive and fit for purpose. As part of this work, the local National Health Service is developing an integrated emergency care specification in line with the national policy direction and will continue, through the Northamptonshire Sustainability and Transformation Plan, to ensure quality urgent care services in Northamptonshire. We understand that Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is developing an Outline Business Case for an Urgent Care Hub, and that NHS Improvement is engaging with the Trust on this. An agreement has been reached between NHS Corby CCG and Lakeside+ Limited to extend the contract to run Corby Urgent Care Centre. The contract will be subject to an extension from 1 October 2017 that will allow it to continue up to but not beyond 31 March 2019.

General Practitioners

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for his policies of the proportion of GP practices that responded to a BMA survey stating that they would consider temporarily suspending new patient registration in order to focus on delivering safe care to patients already on their practice lists.

Steve Brine: The Government understand the pressures that general practitioners (GPs) face and regularly discusses issues related to general practice with the British Medical Association. The Government is working to increase capacity in general practice. The General Practice Forward View set out plans for an extra 5,000 doctors working in general practice by 2020, as well as a minimum of 5,000 other staff – including mental health therapists, practice nurses and clinical pharmacists. In addition, a number of initiatives have been launched to help reduce practice workload and free up time for GPs to provide care to their patients.

Food: Labelling

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the research basis is for the decision his Department has taken not to make calorie labelling mandatory.

Steve Brine: Mandatory nutrition labelling, including the display of calories, for the majority of pre-packaged foods came into effect in December 2016 and is harmonised by European Union legislation. The United Kingdom’s decision to leave the EU may give us an opportunity to develop greater flexibility, as the exit terms are agreed, to determine what information should be presented and how it should be displayed in the UK.

Psychiatry: Training

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the training of more child psychiatrists; and if he will make a statement.

Jackie Doyle-Price: ‘Stepping forward to 2020/21: The mental health workforce plan for England’ was published in July. This sets out steps for recruiting and retaining 21,000 new staff across the mental health system, with the expectation that 19,000 of these places would be filled by staff employed directly by the National Health Service. The plan includes tangible steps to increase the numbers of junior doctors choosing psychiatry. The plan can be accessed at:https://www.hee.nhs.uk/our-work/person-centred-care/mental-health/mental-health-workforce-plan

Shingles: Vaccination

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reasons the shingles vaccine is not available to people between the age of 73 and 77; and if the Government will make that vaccine available to those people.

Steve Brine: The Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation recommend shingles vaccination for adults aged 70 years up to and including 79 years. The programme started in 2013 for those aged 70 and 79 years. Eligibility has been extended with each year as determined by annual negotiations between the Department and NHS England on the capability of the National Health Service to provide additional immunisations, and the affordability of doing so. Shingles immunisation is currently available for those aged 70-74 years, some of those aged 75 years (those born after 1 September 1942) and 78–79 year olds. The remaining individuals aged between 75 to 77 years are expected to become eligible when they reach 78 years of age. Medical professionals are able to apply their clinical discretion and offer immunisation to those who are not currently eligible but could benefit clinically, for example those with underlying health issues or a history of shingles. Shingles immunisation is also available privately.

Wheelchairs

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to improve availability of wheelchairs.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Local clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for commissioning the majority of wheelchair services for their local populations and equipment will be prescribed according to the patient’s clinical need following an assessment by an appropriately qualified practitioner or prescriber. To improve wheelchair commissioning, and promote personalisation in wheelchair services, NHS England has published a Model Service Specification for Wheelchair and Posture Services. The specification provides CCGs with a Framework for them to use with their service users, providers and suppliers to ensure that they commission services that meet the needs of wheelchair users. NHS England is developing a personal health budget offer for wheelchair users. This will allow meet individuals’ health and wellbeing needs more effectively. The scheme will build on the existing voucher scheme by introducing holistic, personalised assessments and by increasing transparency of choice for people who access wheelchair services.

Learning Disability: Eyesight

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to improve the (a) examination of eyes and (b) dispensing of glasses to adults and children with learning disabilities.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the use of hospital eye clinics by people with learning disabilities who cannot access a sight test in the community.

Steve Brine: NHS England is responsible for commissioning the National Health Service sight testing service. They have established a working group to examine the issues affecting the provision of sight tests and glasses for both children and adults with learning disabilities and to reach a view on what if any changes are required to current patient pathways in order to improve health outcomes and reduce health inequalities for this cohort of patients. The working group has wide representation which includes Primary Care Policy and Commissioning, Ophthalmology, The British and Irish Orthoptic Society, SeeAbility and other professional bodies. It is not possible to estimate the number of people with learning disabilities who have received a sight test in a hospital eye clinic as this data is not collected centrally.

Learning Disability: Eyesight

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to raise awareness of the high risks of sight problems in people with learning disabilities.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Ascertaining if there are problems with vision is part of the annual health check which is offered to people aged 14 and over who have been assessed as having moderate, severe or profound learning disabilities, or people with a mild learning disability who have other complex health needs. NHS Choices contains links to information and resources for the public about sight problems in people with a learning disability. Information provided on NHS Choices can be found at the following link: http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Childrenwithalearningdisability/Pages/Childrenwithalearningdisabilityhome.aspx

Women and Equalities

Females: Science and Engineering

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps the Government is taking to increase the number of women taking up careers in science and engineering.

Anne Milton: Girls are just as likely to do well in science, technology, enginerring and mathematics (STEM) GCSEs as boys and the number of girls taking STEM A Levels since 2010 has increased by 20%, but there’s more to do. STEM careers have a 19% pay premium and we are spending over £12m per year on programmes to increase take up of physics, computing and maths A Levels; for example, the Stimulating Physics Network which provides specific support to address the low uptake of physics. Apprenticeships are also a crucial route into engineering and that’s why the National College for High Speed Rail will be delivering apprenticeships in the industry and focusing on getting more young women to apply.

Feminism

Stella Creasy: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment she has made of the potential effect on women's rights of the UK leaving the EU.

Anne Milton: The UK Government’s record on equalities is one of the best in the world and we are determined this will remain so as, and after, we leave the EU.We will ensure all the protections in the Equality Act 2010, including the public sector equality duty, continue to apply once we have left the EU. This will ensure women’s rights of protection against discrimination are preserved, and provide a strong platform for further progress

LGBT People: Public Sector

Gerard Killen: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what progress the Government is making on its consultation with LGBT people on their experiences of accessing public services.

Nick Gibb: The National LGBT Survey will be closing on 15 October. We have received over 100,000 responses. We will analyse and publish the results and use the evidence to inform government policy on LGBT equality.

Females: Voting Rights

Chris Davies: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps the Government is taking to celebrate the centenary of women being able to vote.

Anne Milton: I was delighted that my Rt hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced a £5 million fund to celebrate the centenary of the Representation of the People Act, and I have written to all hon. Members outlining how constituents will access the fund. The hope is that the centenary will build a legacy by educating a new generation about the hard-won right to vote.